No more okada or keke: FG announces tough new rules for Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway

• FG bans okada and keke from the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, effective this week.

• Truck parking on the highway and Lagos bridges, as well as refuse dumping, are now prohibited.

• Task force officials will arrest violators, impound vehicles and enforce the new rules.

The Federal Ministry of Works has banned commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, and tricycles, also known as keke marwa, from operating on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as part of measures to protect the newly constructed road and improve safety. 

The restriction takes effect this week. 

The directive was announced on Sunday by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, who said the move forms part of a broader traffic management and infrastructure protection strategy for the multi-billion-naira highway. 

Under the new rules, commercial motorcycles and tricycles are prohibited from operating on any section of the coastal highway. 

The ministry also banned indiscriminate parking by trucks and articulated vehicles along the highway and on all bridges across Lagos State. 

In addition, it prohibited dumping refuse along the highway corridor, warning that blocked drainage channels contribute to flooding and damage to road infrastructure. 

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Explaining the decision, Dare said the restrictions were introduced to preserve the newly completed sections of the road.

"The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a world-class infrastructure requiring proper maintenance and protection," he said, urging road users to comply with the new directives in the interest of public safety. 

According to the ministry, the measures are intended to prevent misuse of the highway, improve traffic management and ensure the road delivers long-term value for Nigerians.

Officials also warned that offenders would face enforcement actions. 

To ensure the new rules are obeyed, the ministry confirmed that regulatory traffic signs have already been installed along the operational sections of the highway.

It also disclosed that task force officials have been actively stationed at key entry and exit points to arrest violators, impound offending vehicles, and enforce the regulations without exception.

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The latest directive follows years of incremental restrictions on commercial motorcycles within Lagos State. 

Since the introduction of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law in 2012, the state government has gradually prohibited okadas from operating on several major roads and highways over persistent safety and security concerns.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) previously reported that Lagos recorded more than 10,000 motorcycle- and tricycle-related accidents within a three-year window, resulting in over 600 deaths. 

The Federal Ministry of Works emphasised that the latest measures are designed to ensure the multi-trillion-naira Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway remains safe, efficient, and structurally protected for decades to come.