By Chris Paul Otaigbe
This was going to be my first night out at Lekki and so, I had to get the crew together to hit the road at some minutes past five. Setting out from Ogba, I believed we should still be able to make it for the event I had planned to attend for the evening and it was a Friday.
My thinking was that give or take, leaving at the time we did, we would be going against traffic driving to towards the Island. How wrong I was.
Right from the Gbagada end of the Third Mainland Bridge, the traffic had built up mainly because of those going into the Mainland through the Oworonshoki side of the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.
According to a traffic report on Third Mainland Bridge in 2002, the number of vehicles in both directions recorded in 12 hours was 180,902, it tripled after 16 years. On this evening, it was like it quadrupled. We were on one spot on the bridge for the next 45 minutes. Still, I thought to myself we would still make it.
Perhaps, once we pass this gridlock on this part of the long bridge, we would be ok and would arrive the place, worst case scenario… 7pm on the dot! Wrong again!!
When we finally crawled away from that patch, we were soon to encounter the battle of
Trailers and Tankers as we head to the body of the waters under the Third Mainland Bridge.
By the way, this prestigious bridge has none like it in the whole of Nigeria, as it is longest of the three bridges in Lagos. The others are the Eko and Carter bridges. It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed.
The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.
By 2006, many commuters had reported that the Third Mainland Bridge was vibrating noticeably, indicating that it needed urgent attention. As a result, remedial work was commenced on the affected portions of the bridge at different times, leading to partial closure of the bridge at different times.
As at January 2013, this work was completed.
Recently, there have been rumors of cracks on the bridge. This, however, was denied by the authorities. The eight-lane bridge experienced a new look during the last repairing exercise, painting the bridge divider with Nigeria’s green, white, green colour and also general painting was carried out for a new look. The repair works on the bridge has been completed and was re-opened on October 30,2012.
The Bridge has very high vehicular traffic on weekdays, as many residents commute to and from the Lagos Mainland to the Island which is the commercial hub of Lagos State. It is an essential part of Lagos’ daily commuting, and as such requires to be constantly renovated.
It has also come to be a major Lagos icon, offering different views of Lagos – the Lagos Lagoon, the University of Lagos Waterfront and Makoko, a shanty town built on the Lagos Lagoon.
In the 1970s, following the end of Nigeria’s civil war, a period of increasing oil price followed and Nigeria went through series of economic upturns. A need for improved infrastructural facilities especially in the capital city of Lagos that had gone through a period of port congestion and then an upward tick in vehicular traffic created the impetus for a third bridge linking the commercial-oriented Lagos Island with the growing urban settlements of mainland Lagos.
A contract was awarded for a third mainland bridge in 1976. Construction of the bridge was done in phases. The first phase was contracted to a PGH consortium, a venture consisting, Impresit Girola and Borini Prono, while Trevi Group provided support services for piling. The first phase was designed to be five kilometers in length, starting from the Island and ending at Ebute Metta, towards Yaba. The bridge elevates to three kilometers above the water and made from pre-stressed reinforced concrete. Foundation piles had varying depths of between 36 and 54 meters and pile diameter is based on potential carrying road, diameters of 1500mm are used for the main bridge crossing the Lagos lagoon and for the slipway and approach roads, pile diameter was between 800mm and 1200mm. The first phase was completed in 1980.
The second phase from Ebute-Metta to Oworonshoki was awarded to construction giant, Julius Berger Plc, by the Babangida administration which also completed and commissioned the project before exiting office.
Back to the story on my evening outing at Lekki…
So, as we finally crossed the water, we descended into a worse gridlock from the part of the bridge linking the Island from the Osborn part.
This was a nightmare! At 8pm, we were still on the road for a 7pm event. I began to wonder what actually the Babajide Sanwo-Olu had actually been doing all through the holiday preparing to ease road traffic issues in the State. Evidently, from this experience, it was obvious that the State officials also went on the long national vacation to enjoy the yuletide.
Now, the work left undone by the Lagos State government to fix the traffic gridlock in the State was about to undo all my plans for this very important program! At this point, I must confess, I was becoming grouchy for obvious reasons.
On Google map, we discovered that this traffic nightmare was coming from the Lekki toll gate and it was going to take another one hour twenty-seven minutes to get to our destination. It was already about fifteen minutes past eight.
One thing living in Lagos teaches you is to have Plan A-D, to get around in the city, if you are driving. Our Plan B was to drop going into Lekki through the Ozumba Mbadiwe end of the Island and enter Lekki through the Eko Hotel area.
That ended up being the saving plan but not without another 40 minutes of bumper-bumper ride through adjoining shortcuts that made us emerge close to the roundabout just after the Hotel and onto the Zenith Road with its Disneyland-like walkway decoration which had been there since the Christmas holidays. It looks like the bank intends to make it a permanent feature of its street.
For me those decorations, with lit castles and shelters et al marked the beginning of a new world as it ushered us into the entrance into Lekki.
Nestled to the east of Lagos, Lekki has an undeniable allure. While there are no towering skyscrapers found in cities like New York, Lekki offers popular beaches, vibrant nightlife and a rich display of entertainment options. If you fancy living in a neighborhood surrounded by water, beaches, scenic beauty, a good road network and a rich assortment of entertainment, then Lekki is the place to live. It’s safe for families with children, young couples, singles and those with a taste for spontaneity. Due to its location, Lekki is characterized by breezy mornings, sunny afternoons and cool evenings. But it is an expensive part of town to take up residence!
Once a slum, known as Maroko, most of Lekki has morphed into a modern redeveloped neighborhood. Lekki Phase 2, however, is still largely under construction. As at 2017, only Lekki Phase 1 of the project had been completed, with Phase two nearing completion. The area is occupied by several estates of gated residential developments; with an airport, a golf course and a sea port under construction.
A new urban neighborhood and a splendid choice for residential living as well as business establishments, Lekki is known for its serenity, good connectivity, fundamental social amenities, tourist attraction sites and a vibrant nightlife.
The neighborhood is home to mid-to-high income earners who have either bought property or are renting apartments. The quiet atmosphere in Lekki offers the great mix of a homely locality for families, and entertainment for those who seek it.
As one of the top neighborhoods in Lagos, Lekki has a wealth of amenities to offer its residents and visitors.
Some of the best schools in Lagos are located in Lekki, ranging from international schools.
The Lekki community supports supplementary learning activities by ensuring students get facilities to further what they learn in school. Such facilities include libraries and study rooms.
Looking at the many options for medical establishments in Lekki, residents are assured of quality medical services. There are general hospitals like Britannia Hospital, Anna Maria Hospital, Belmont Dental Clinic, First City Hospital and Diagnosis and Feetal Diagnosis Clinic as well as specialist medical providers like Medison Specialist Women’s Hospital and The Premier Specialist Medical Centre.
Any progressive neighborhood always has mechanisms in place to cater for its less fortunate members. Lekki does not neglect this responsibility as seen in the number of orphanages within Lekki Phase 1 and Lekki Phase 2. From Peculiar Saints Orphanage, Sought After Women and Children Foundation and Friends of Jesus Orphanage to Sisters Unite Skill Centre, Arrow of God Orphanage and Motherless Babies Home.
Lekki offers a rich spread of options to locals and tourists alike who want to get in touch with local or continental delicacies. It’s not just about the food as Lekki also hosts a wide collection of restaurants, bars and hotels.
The night in Lekki comes alive with nightclubs spread all over the neighborhood. Posh clubs within the district include Rhapsody’s, Wind Lounge and Sailor’s Lounge. Prominent spots like Ice Cream Factory, Domino’s Pizza, Bay Lounge, Mega Chicken, The Bank and, The Place and Road Chef hold a promise of sweet offerings and Patio Lagos is where the program that brought me to this side of town would be holding.
It is easy and convenient to move around in Lekki due to the expansive road network that stretches all through the Lekki-Epe Expressway to the streets, drives and avenues within the district. The presence of law enforcement agents like the police, LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Agency) help preserve the safety of the neighborhood around the clock. There are several options to get around Lekki.
There is a network of white buses that make your ride through Lekki and neighboring districts convenient. Commercial motorcycles, Okada, are a major feature and means of transportation within Lekki especially for residents or visitors who want to beat the traffic.
It is not advisable to use motorcycles on the highways. However, they serve the purpose of quick transportation well but operate with restrictions within the Lekki district.
Those with personal cars enjoy the grace of the Lekki-Epe Expressway for the pleasurable experience, especially during off-peak hours where traffic is smooth. The Lekki-Epe Expressway stretches all the way to Epe. Admiralty Way, which is the road immediately next to the venue of the event, remains one of the popular roads in Lekki Phase one as it connects Bisola Durosinmi Etti Drive, Adebayo Doherty Drive and Freedom Way.
Taxis are a popular means of transportation in Lekki. There are different types of taxis that operate within the neighborhood. The ‘yellow cabs’ as they are called can be hailed as you step out of your home and walk towards any major road in Lekki. They are privately owned taxis. With these cabs, the rates are not fixed and you have to haggle before you board one. Also available are the government-controlled taxis also known as the Metro cab. These are black with a 4-coloured stripe of red, blue, yellow and green (the official colors of the Lagos State government) that stretches from the front of the car to its rear. Like the ‘yellow cabs,’ you also have to negotiate your fare before the ride.
Uber is another popular type of taxi system used in Lekki. Unlike the ‘yellow cab’ and the metro cab, you have to request a ride via the Uber app. Besides the Uber, there are other taxis that operate a similar system. They include OgaTaxi, Taxify and Easy Taxi.
The waterways that enfold the neighborhood offer a great option for those who prefer boat rides and ferries to moving around Lekki’s road network. Water transportation is a suitable option for those who work in Lekki but live on the mainland and often opt for ferry rides to work and back home. For those who cannot bear the heat of traffic congestion, the waterways provide a great alternative.
If you are an outdoors kind of person, then this neighborhood would be a paradise for you. Interested in playing football? Fun Turf on Admiralty Way has an artificial pitch with wired walls, to fill this void. Outdoor attractions like The VGC Recreation Club, Omu Resort, Lekki Conservation Centre, Fun Factory, Elegushi Beach, Lekki Leisure Lake, Iron Bar Fitness and the Nike Art Gallery. Lekki also has amazing public swimming pools for those interested in taking a dive. If you have a thing for boat rides, different membership packages await you at BICS Boat Club and others within the district.
So, we finally arrived the venue at about fifteen minutes to nine that evening.
Thankfully, the event had not kicked off and we had enough time to catch our breath and get our acts together to cover the program which eventually kicked off 45 minutes later.
The program was an event put together as part of the Lady Donli’s Enjoy Your Life Album Tour. However, contrary to what we had expected, she did not perform. Rather she was part of the audience that played a brain teaser-game that revolved around her person and career.
The game was called Trivia. Trivia entails splitting the audience into groups of six in which a representative of each group would be the one to answer certain questions about the artiste and her music.
I found myself in Group D, which was the second to the last group E. My group was ably represented by a young lady who took our Team to the final two only to lose gallantly to her opponent by a mere guess answer to a tie-breaking question.
Basically, that was what the whole evening was all about as the event came to a gradual close as the DJ sent everyone to the dance floor with some irresistible Nigerian music.
On the way back, we saw the full nightlife of Lekki colored with clubs and hangouts winking at us with neon lights. One had barely contemplated an examination of the Ladies of the Night lining the streets of the sophisticated joints in the Estate when we saw policemen running after and throwing them into their vans.
Leading the arrest is the vehicle branded with the graphics of the Estate’s Residents Association, who obviously were bent on ridding their area of prostitutes. The young ladies, who came in various advertised shapes and sizes, did not struggle neither did they let off any emotion of regret or lamentation except for one or two who fruitlessly tried to escape arrest.
For the rest at the back of the van, it was routine and comes with the territory… some kind of usual but tolerable job hazards. From their expressionless but comported disposition to such an alarmingly shameful event, it was as if they were saying; we know how to settle amicably away from public eyes.
The drive back was as smooth as it could get. One wished it would be like that in the day time too, every day. But then this is Lagos.
Without a doubt, living in Lekki and life in that part of the megacity is another universe entirely, not because what exist there do not exist anywhere else in Lagos. For instance, while the nightlife in Lekki was on a rapid upswing, there was a rapid decline, at best sublime, as we leave the Island all the way through the rest of Victoria Island to Ikoyi and finally onto the full length of the waiting and traffic-free Third mainland bridge. As we approached the mainland, the difference was stark. While the Island was wide awake at past 1a.m in the morning, most of the Mainland was asleep.
