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Lagos Begs Motorists, Residents for Calm over Gridlock
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Motorists and residents of Lagos State have been urged to further endure the traffic congestion in some areas across the city as a result of ongoing road rehabilitation and construction works.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye, while reviewing some road projects at the weekend, said government feels the pains being experienced by them.
She said very soon, the pains will become gains, appreciating their perseverance so far. The Governor’s aide explained that government took the decision to embark on multiple projects simultaneously to avoid the delay that would result from the commencement of the rainy reason in April.
She maintained that the state of roads at the inception of this administration provided no alternative than adopting a wholesale approach to fixing the critical roads to alleviate the pain and discomfort to road users as well as reducing damage to vehicles.
“The roads where the government has intervened include Lekki-Epe Expressway; Allen Avenue Roundabout; Ojota along Ikorodu Road; Agege Pen Cinema Flyover; Ijegun-Ijagemo Road and Lagos-Badagry Expressway among,” Ms Adeyoye said.
While acknowledging the discomfort being experienced in areas like Ikorodu and Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja, she explained that the government recognised that any delay in completing bad roads would further stretch the period of rehabilitation due to the rainy season which is predicted to be early and intense this year.
Ms Adeyoye disclosed that the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure constantly reviews progress of work across all local governments and has in some instances, been able to reduce the projected timelines for completion of work at some locations.
“We have reviewed the work programme for the rehabilitation works programme for Ojota and we have been able to gain over two months from the earlier scheduled completion date,” she stated.
The Special Adviser further revealed that the Public Works Corporation has been directed to restrict rehabilitation of inner roads across the state to off-peak hours between 10pm and 5am, assuring that palliative work by the agency will also ameliorate the effect of bad roads on commuters.
She emphasised that traffic managers have played a vital road in reducing traffic congestion on Lagos roads saying, “Aside deploying traffic managers to sensitive spots where road rehabilitation or construction is going on, we have also directed that all access roads be opened up to complement efforts of our traffic managers whenever construction work is taking place to ease congestion and gridlock.”
Ms Adeyoye, therefore, appealed for caution and cooperation on the part of road users, assuring of prompt completion of the projects and urging road users to always be patient and obey traffic regulations along road rehabilitation and construction corridors.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A bill aimed at prohibiting hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles in Nigeria has been passed by the Senate.
The bill known as the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, imposes fines between N50,000 and N100,000 for violations if assented to by the President.
The piece of legislation was passed by the red chamber of the National Assembly on Thursday and should later be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Members of the upper chamber of the parliament explained that the law was amended to discourage distractions in commercial vehicles and improve the safety of commuters.
In addition, motorists who fail to cooperate with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion are liable to fines or imprisonment or both.
Lawmakers noted that this was to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce road crashes, as fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs were raised to N100,000 from N5,000, with the risk of spending two years behind bars.
It was also proposed that disobedience to traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings and other traffic control devices will now attract N100,000, while the fine for speed limit violations is now N100,000, with reckless driving now a fine of N100,000 or two years’ imprisonment.
By Dipo Olowookere
Residents and motorists plying the Aina Obembe Road in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, may soon heave a sigh of relief as the excruciating traffic gridlock being experienced in the area both day and night may soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, has directed those involved in indiscriminate truck parking along the road to remove the heavy-duty vehicles within one week, threatening to invoke appropriate enforcement measures for noncompliance with this directive.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday with the management of SENA Company, which owns the affected trucks, as well as the leadership of Oluwadara CDA and other key stakeholders like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at the council’s secretariat, Mr Agbaje frowned at the prolonged inconvenience suffered by the community, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and safe for all users.
He emphasised the need for a collaborative approach in resolving the issue without undermining legitimate business operations, noting that he’s focused on finding a lasting solution to the gridlock experienced between Oluwaga and Aina Obembe, where parked trucks have continued to obstruct traffic, disrupt business activities, and pose safety concerns for residents and motorists.
He tasked the firm and the CDA to jointly identify and implement alternative parking arrangements that would remove all trucks from the affected roads and restore the free flow of traffic.
He declared that, “The welfare of our people remains our highest priority. No individual or corporate organisation should obstruct public infrastructure or create avoidable hardship for residents. We must ensure that economic activities coexist with public safety, order, and convenience.”
The council chief reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting orderly development, ensuring safe and accessible roads, improving traffic management, and creating an environment where businesses can thrive alongside the well-being of residents.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has cut import levies on new and used vehicles by as much as 10 per cent in a move aimed at reducing the cost of vehicle importation, even as it commenced the implementation of a new Green Tax surcharge.
According to an update issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, the import levy on new vehicles has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
The customs said the policy is designed to ease the cost of vehicle imports while advancing the government’s environmental sustainability objectives through the newly introduced Green Tax.
The implementation also reduces the overall import duty on fully built passenger vehicles from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.
As part of the Green Tax framework, a new environmental surcharge of between two per cent and four per cent will apply to petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2,000cc. However, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and passenger cars with engines below 2,000cc are exempt from the surcharge.
Beyond the automobile sector, the fiscal measures also lower import duties on several essential goods. The duty on imported rice has been reduced from 70 per cent to 47.5 per cent, while crude palm oil now attracts a 28.75 per cent duty.
In addition, import duties on agricultural and manufacturing machinery have been completely removed to support local production, while Waste PET has been added to the export prohibition list to encourage domestic recycling.
