LASG: Residents Lose N1trn Annually To Traffic Woes

The Lagos State Government has said that residents lose an estimated N1 trillion every year due to the effects of daily traffic congestion, which it said continues to cripple productivity and quality of life in Africa’s most populous city.

The staggering figure was revealed yesterday by the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide SanwoOlu on Transportation, Sola Giwa, during the opening ceremony of the Second Lagos Traffic Conference at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.

The event also marked the 25th anniversary of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

“Lagosians spend an average of six hours daily on the road,” Giwa said, lamenting that the cumulative loss to the state’s economy runs into one trillion naira annually.

He added that through traffic enforcement and improved operations, LASTMA has helped recover at least N4 billion worth of productivity previously lost to gridlock.

Themed “Enhancing Traffic Efficiency and Safety on Lagos Roads: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations,” the high-level three-day conference drew transportation professionals, law enforcement leaders, policy experts, academics, and private-sector stakeholders to examine both the challenges and potential breakthroughs in Lagos’ urban mobility sector.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, described traffic efficiency as central to the city’s economic survival and quality of life. He reiterated the government’s commitment to long-term transport reforms.