Lagos communities groan over collapsed roads, perennial flooding
For a couple of years, residents of some parts of Lagos State have been living in pain and fear.
This is attributable to the sorry-state of the roads across some communities, a development that has also led to the blockage of drainage systems in such environments and consequent flooding, which has rendered scores homeless.
Of particular interest is the Oyadiran Estate in the Sabo axis of Yaba, Lagos, where residents live in constant fear and frustration as the once-serene neighbourhood has become a nightmare of broken roads, blocked drainages and knee-deep floods whenever it rains.
What used to be a smooth drive through the estate has turned into a stretch of gullies and craters. Deep potholes have eaten deep into the asphalt, leaving gaping holes filled with muddy water. Vehicles now struggle to navigate the dilapidated stretch, while pedestrians tread carefully on the narrow edges of the damaged road to avoid slipping into stagnant pools.
On rainy days, the situation worsens. The drainage channels, many of them clogged with plastic waste and silt overflow easily, sending torrents of water cascading into homes and shops. Residents recount how, within minutes of a heavy downpour, their streets turn into a river, with water gushing through compounds and submerging ground-floor apartments. Motorists lament the danger they face while navigating the bad road on a daily basis.
Describing what residents face on a daily basis, Kunle Adebayo described the experience as tortuous. “It is a moment of agony passing through the road every day. I have been repairing my car almost every day because of this bad road.
“Nobody is ready to fix it. The local government has made countless promises but none has produced any positive result. They would come, make promises and go and we would never see them again.”
“However, during the election, the politicians would come with their promises. They would promise heaven and earth, even to build bridges where there is no river, but at the end of the day, when they get to office, they would not remember any of those promises. We haven’t seen anything, they are all failed promises,” he told SOCIETY WATCH.
