Lagos implements traffic interventions and €410m water transport project

The Lagos State Government is implementing multiple strategies to address the state’s growing transportation and congestion challenges. To combat renewed traffic gridlock in the Apapa port access corridors, the Lekki-Epe axis, and the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Ministry of Transportation has convened high-level stakeholder meetings. A primary focus of these interventions is the indiscriminate parking of articulated trucks along major roads, which reduces road capacity and impacts commuters and businesses. Authorities have pledged to intensify enforcement to prevent major roads from being used as makeshift truck parks.

In a parallel effort to alleviate pressure on road infrastructure, the state has commenced the €410 million Omi-Eko project. This initiative aims to develop an integrated inland waterways transportation system to improve connectivity for the more than 540,000 residents living in waterfront communities. By developing ferry terminals and navigation infrastructure, the project seeks to provide faster alternatives to road travel; for example, the journey from Ikorodu to Falomo could be reduced from over an hour by road to approximately 25 to 30 minutes by water. The project follows a two-year pre-feasibility study supported by the Agence Française de Développement.