Wednesday, February 26, 2020 / 9:27 AM / Ottoabasi Abasiekong for WebTV / Header Image Credit: WebTV

A Petrol tanker explosion that occurred on the nightof Tuesday, February 25, 2020 along the Long bridge between Lagos and OgunState caused a massive traffic lockdown for commuters who ply the Lagos-Ibadanexpressway corridor.

Since the early hours of Wednesday, February 26,2020, morning commuters had to face the logjam, which stretched from 7UP Motorways in the Ojota part of Lagos to the Kara and longbridges in Ogun state, disrupting socio-economic activities along the axis.

The gridlock affected the resumption time of workers in both the public andprivate sectors, whilethose who had early morning air flights to catch from Lagos missedtheir boarding times.

Residents of Housing estates like Otedola,Magodo, Ikosi GRA and Omole Phase II in Lagos were not left out of the vehicular standstill asthey spent over 40 minutes to get out of their estates.

A few peopleinterviewed said that they might not be able to make it to theirplaces of work, meet up with business appointments or taketheir children to school as a result of the traffic challenges.

The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is the busiesthighway in Nigeria, and witnesses heavy vehicular traffic, especially that of articulated vehicles(Heavy Trucks andTankers).

Currently, the Federal Ministry of Works andHousing is supervising the Julius Berger construction of the expressway,which is at a critical stage along the Kara, Ogun state axis.

Meanwhile, in Lagos the decision by the State government to ban commercial motorcycleriders including transport hailing servicesand tricycles across 40 highways, has led to people to walk from 7UP Motorways at Ojota totheir offices in areas like Ojodu Berger(Lagos-Ogun axis), Omole Phase II Estate,Lagos, Omole Phase I, Magodo Phase I Estate, Magodo Phase II Estate etc. andeven down to OPIC Estate,(Ogun State).

Citizens haveexpressed the hope that the Federal Ministryof Works and Housing, the Lagos State Government and the Ogun State Governmentwill work out ways to address what has become a recurring logistics nightmare along Nigeria's principal economic corridor.

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