Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Government has launched two major initiatives aimed at improving traffic management and restoring environmental order in the city, reaffirming its commitment to urban renewal and public safety.
This was contained in a statement signed on Thursday by Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
According to Taofiq, the initiative aims to ensure smooth mobility and safe commuting around the clock, with LASTMA now operating a 24-hour traffic management and enforcement framework across Lagos State.
He wrote, “The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Honourable Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’ transportation governance.
“It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods, and services within Nigeria’s economic epicenter—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.”
Hon. Giwa said the 24-hour operation shows the government’s commitment to vigilance, efficiency, and traffic regulation, particularly as Lagos prepares for the festive period, which typically sees increased traffic and commercial activity.
He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response, and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.
“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives, and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Hon. Giwa stated.
The statement continued, “A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialized unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions, and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.
“In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Coastain, and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties, and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.
“The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Hon. Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force, and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorized traders, makeshift structures, and multiple environmental infractions.”
The operation, Giwa said, led to the discovery of an illegal diesel dumping site and the seizure of expired plantain chips and cheese balls stored in unsanitary conditions, highlighting the government’s focus on public health and environmental protection.
The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitization campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.
Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Coastain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded. Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.
Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection, or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order, and discipline.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators, and commuters to comply with government directives, utilize designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient, and orderly metropolis.
He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement, and civic responsibility.
