Lagos spends N700bn on road rehabilitation in 15 years, needs more funds

Lagos State has invested more than N700 billion in road rehabilitation over the past 15 years, but Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat insists a significantly larger budget is needed to keep pace with the state's growing infrastructure demands. The state's rapidly expanding population places immense pressure on existing infrastructure, necessitating heavy investment in transportation, housing, healthcare, and education.

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The Lagos State Public Works Corporation carries out routine maintenance of roads across the state. We used to have 14 maintenance gangs, but we have increased them to 34 teams of engineers that go around Lagos identifying and rehabilitating bad portions of roads.

Hamzat highlighted the efforts of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation, which has increased its maintenance gangs from 14 to 34 teams to identify and repair bad road sections across the state's approximately 9,911 roads. He noted that the cost of road rehabilitation has risen substantially, requiring more resources to meet the state's infrastructure needs.

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Today, we have about 9,911 roads across the state, and all of them require regular maintenance.

The deputy governor also pointed to the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge as a significant project requiring substantial financial commitment. He stressed the importance of integrating road construction with drainage and flood control measures, drawing a parallel with New York's water management systems. "When we do roads in Lagos, we are not just moving vehicles; we are moving water," Hamzat stated, emphasizing the need to prevent flooding.

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When we do roads in Lagos, we are not just moving vehicles; we are moving water. For example, in New York, there is a lot of water just as we have it in Lagos, but they were able to control it. Lagos must not sink. We must look into our drainage to ensure that there is no overflow.

Addressing perceptions of concentrated development, Hamzat asserted that projects are spread across all local government areas, though available resources remain inadequate for the scale of needs. He also touched upon the necessity of developing an effective mortgage system for housing and building technical capacity among professionals familiar with Lagos's unique challenges.

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There is no local government that we haven’t touched. However, the resources available to the government remain inadequate compared with the scale of infrastructure needs across Lagos.