This week has been memorable in Lagos. Lagosians were forced to participate in a compulsory mannequin challenge as some roads were gridlocked during the week.
Major roads are being rehabilitated at the moment. Some parts of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been closed due to the construction work being undertaken by Julius Berger Plc and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC). Ojodu Berger bus stop also is being reconstructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Nigeria Ltd. These road constructions have led to the incessant traffic jams and gridlocks.
On Wednesday, it was reported that a speeding petrol tanker rammed into some other vehicles, including a trailer loaded with rice, and exploded. The tanker immediately caught fire, killing three people and injured several. The bags of rice loaded in the other trailer also poured on the road, leading to complete blockage of the expressway. The accident occurred on Kara bridge, Ogun State. The lackadaisical attitude of the Ogun state government to respond to the situation led to a fire outbreak that went on for hours on the road. It took the intervention of the Lagos State Government to stop the fire.
The same Wednesday, another petrol tanker capsized near Mobil Petrol Station at Magodo, Lagos. The Lagos State Fire Service responded promptly, preventing a second outbreak. However, part of the road had to be blocked, forcing commuters to use only one side of the road.
Nigeria’s population has been on a sporadic rise, currently estimated at 182 million with an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent and its population is projected to rise to 210 million by 2021. This population growth has led to an increasing rate of urban migration. Lagos, the city with the largest population in Africa, has a population of 21 million and is estimated to double by 2050. The high urbanisation growth calls for desperate measures to be taken by the government towards planning for the sustainability of these cities.
Ventures Africa captured some moments of the “forced mannequin challenge”:
Commuters were forced to trek long distances with some people coming from as far as Mowe, Ibafo and Arepo–outskirt areas of Lagos–to their workplaces in Lagos. Bus rates on alternative routes were terribly hiked as some buses were charging double the price of the normal bus fares.
