Lagos residents say years of road decay drive up transport costs, hurt businesses
Residents and business owners along the Ginti Junction–Igbelaara Road in Lagos say prolonged deterioration of the route is driving up transport costs, damaging vehicles and disrupting deliveries.
The road, in the Igbogbo-Baiyeku Local Council Development Area, connects Ginti Bus Stop toward Igbelaara and the Ijede Road axis.
Residents say sections of the road have become difficult for commercial vehicles to navigate, increasing dependence on motorcycles and pushing up the cost of local journeys.
Transport costs rise as road deteriorates
One resident, Adediran Owolabi, said motorcycle fares along the route can reach between ₦800 and ₦1,000, while even shorter trips within the community can cost about ₦500.
Residents also said motorists face increased repair costs because of the road condition.
During the rainy season, they said movement becomes more difficult as waterlogged and muddy sections worsen access.
For households, the effect is not limited to inconvenience. Residents say the poor road has become an added daily expense for people travelling to work, schools and markets.
Businesses face delivery problems
The road condition is also affecting small businesses in the area.
A food seller identified as Keji said delivery riders sometimes refuse to enter the community, forcing business owners to meet them at bus stops or other accessible points to collect goods.
Residents also said commercial transport operators are reluctant to serve parts of the route regularly.
That means poor access is creating additional logistics costs for businesses already dependent on road transport to move goods and customers.
Community says problem has lasted for years
Community leaders say the road has remained in poor condition for a prolonged period.
Ayodele Olayinka, General Secretary of the Ginti Central Community Development Association, said the road had been in a deplorable state for more than 20 years and that residents had repeatedly appealed for government intervention.
The 20-year duration remains a community claim and has not been independently established through documentary records reviewed by IDNN.
Other residents also said the road had been deteriorated for years before their own arrival in the area.
Residents see wider transport value
Residents argue that rehabilitating the route could improve connections between Ginti, Igbelaara, Igbogbo and surrounding communities.
They also believe better access could reduce pressure on other transport corridors and make the area more accessible to commercial transport services.
Those expectations represent residents’ assessment and are not being presented as an established Lagos State transport plan.
Government response remains outstanding
The accountability question now rests on what intervention, if any, is planned for the road and which authority currently carries responsibility for it.
At the time of the source reporting reviewed by IDNN, a response from the Lagos State Ministry of Works had not been established.
No project value, contractor, current rehabilitation contract, budget allocation or delivery deadline has been verified.
For residents and businesses, the immediate issue is simpler: the road’s condition continues to impose a daily cost while the timeline for meaningful intervention remains unclear.
