By Olanrewaju Joseph (SIWES student, OSCOTECH)
A recent study by the Danne Institute for Research highlighted that Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, faces a significant annual loss of N4tn attributed to severe traffic congestion.
The study, titled Behavioural Causes of Traffic Congestion in Lagos, funded by the Bank of Industry and Africa Finance Corporation, underscores the urgent need for action to address the economic and social impact.
Executive Director Franca Ovadje emphasizes redirecting these losses to essential sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
The report identifies behavioral factors, such as poor road infrastructure and traffic law violations, as primary culprits, pointing to the impact of agberos’ activities at bus stops and buses picking up passengers.
Ovadje highlights that despite Lagos’ 21 million population, productivity is hampered by crippling traffic jams.
The report suggests that doubling the population in developing countries should ideally result in a 5 to 6 per cent growth in productivity.
Respondents, citing traffic congestion as a major challenge, propose solutions focusing on road construction, repairs, maintenance, a ban on agberos, and stringent enforcement of traffic laws.
