Lagos Residents Avoid Pedestrian Bridges, Risking Their Lives

Despite having pedestrian bridges for safe crossing over busy roads, many Lagos residents still take the risk of crossing directly. PUNCH Metro found this during a recent visit to sites like Oshodi, Isolo, 7/8 Bus Stop, and the NAHCO area by Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road in Ikeja. These bridges were mostly empty as pedestrians opted to cross the busy highways instead.

Some pedestrians shared their reasons for avoiding the bridges. They said the bridges were often too far from where they wanted to cross, and climbing the stairs was hard work. Mariam Okoro, a resident of Isolo, explained that many people chose to cross the highway for a quicker journey.

Okoro lives near the 7/8 pedestrian bridge. She emphasized that the bridges were built for safety and should be used to prevent accidents. "Some people, you know, in Nigeria, we need anything fast lane, fast track. Everybody wants to cross. We don’t want much stress. That’s why we are crossing with our legs. The government made the bridge for our safety. It is not that the government is wrong. They made it for our own safety, but everybody wants to cross fast," she said.

A member of the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline, who asked to remain anonymous, said some people avoid the bridge at night due to security concerns. He noted that there were no security guards present to prevent potential theft. Still, he said he had not seen any harassment on the bridge and described it as being in good shape.

"The bridge is good; nothing is wrong with it. Some people will use the bridge to cross, but others prefer crossing the road," he said. Babatunde, another local, mentioned that KAI officials sometimes arrest people who cross the highway instead of using the bridge, but this enforcement rarely stops the behavior.

"KAI arrests people who cross the road from time to time, but people still go ahead to pass through the highway," he said. Babatunde also pointed out that the bridge had poor lighting, saying the lights were not working. "The lights here are not working. It’s just for decoration, if I must say," he added.

When asked if the bridge was always dark, Babatunde said yes. He also commented on cleanliness, saying the bridge could become dirty and smelly, even though it was cleaned daily. "It’s dirty and smelly sometimes. That’s why we send people away from the bridge. We sweep it every day," he said.

Emmanuel Muyiwa, a pedestrian in the NAHCO area, said the bridge’s design and location made it hard for people to use. He found climbing the stairs stressful and noted that the bridge was too far from some crossing points. "That bridge is kind of stressful. The way they built the stairs is stressful," he explained.

Muyiwa added that the distance between the bridge and junctions often discouraged people from using it. "It is too far. The distance of the bridge and the junction makes it difficult for us to use the bridge when I can get to where I’m going faster. It is meant to be just one straight staircase," he said.

Michael Adeoye, another pedestrian at Oshodi, said reluctance to use the bridge was not just about its condition or safety. He believed many people simply wanted to avoid the effort of climbing the stairs. "I don’t think it’s because of insecurity or bad structure that we don’t pass the bridge. I feel like people do not like stress at all. See where the government went to put the overhead bridge. It is too high. Even if my leg is hurting, I’d prefer to cross the road normally than climb that bridge," he said.

Adeoye also raised concerns about poor lighting at the bridge at night, highlighting that it could make pedestrians vulnerable to robbery. "There’s no light at the bridge at night. I don’t know about other places, but this one here at Oshodi, it’s very risky to pass here at night so that robbers will not take your things," he said.

This pattern of crossing highways instead of using pedestrian bridges puts residents at risk of serious accidents. Pedestrian bridges exist to keep people safe from traffic. But observations by PUNCH Metro and citizens’ comments show that issues like convenience, accessibility, and security fears are keeping some Lagos residents from using them.