Lagos Residents and Drivers Frustrated by Bad Road

Residents and drivers are unhappy about the bad state of Alfa Nla Road in Agege, Lagos State. They are calling for quick repairs to the road.

PUNCH Metro found that the road's condition is causing heavy traffic and trouble for those using it.

People are worried about the road, especially a damaged part that gets flooded every time it rains.

When PUNCH Metro visited on Tuesday, the damaged section was filled with big potholes and standing rainwater. This made it hard for drivers using the road, which connects Pen Cinema and Oke-Koto areas in the community.

Residents told our reporter that the road has been in bad shape for about three years without any help from the authorities. They said the situation gets worse during the rainy season because blocked drains stop rainwater from flowing away.

A resident named Akeem said both drivers and residents have asked for repairs but nothing has happened. He noted that the damaged part causes a lot of traffic, especially during evening rush hour.

“The road has been like this for about three years. Once it starts raining, the water stays here because the drainage is completely blocked. Every day, motorists struggle to pass through this place,” he said.

Another resident, Bose Adeyemi, said the bad road often forces drivers to leave their lane and drive on the opposite side. She said, “The traffic is usually terrible from around 6 p.m. Vehicles, especially commercial buses, are forced to use the other lane while facing oncoming vehicles. The other lane is now gradually getting damaged due to the pressure from the traffic.”

While Adeyemi spoke, our reporter saw some buses driving against traffic to avoid the damaged part of the road.

A commercial bus driver, Sulaimon Yusuf, said the bad state of the road has raised vehicle maintenance costs. He said drivers often have to slow down to avoid damaging their cars.

“You have to be very careful when driving through this road, especially when it rains. Some of the potholes are hidden under the water and can damage your vehicle if you are not familiar with the lane,” he said.

Residents pointed out that the road's worsening state is due to blocked drains along that part of the road. They said the inability of rainwater to flow through the drains has made the road worse and increased the risk of flooding.

“If you look at the side of the road, you will hardly believe there used to be a drainage there. It has been completely covered and now looks like an ordinary floor. This happened over time as the road continued to deteriorate,” another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

They are calling on the Agege Local Government and the Lagos State Government to take action quickly before the road becomes completely unusable.

The spokesperson for the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Adesina Odunuga, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Calls to his phone went unanswered, and a text message sent to him had not been replied to by the time this report was published.