One of the more tragic paradoxes of Nigeria’s development challenge is the critical state of the country’s critical infrastructure. The Apapa-Ijora Bridge in Lagos is a pre-eminent example of the clear and present danger posed to the nation by its inexplicable failure to maintain the transportation, communications and power systems that are vital to the continued functioning of a modern state.
The condition of the bridge is a grim testimony to decades of the malign neglect that characterises the national attitude to the maintenance of infrastructure. Much of the bridge’s asphalt overlays have been eroded by the elements, as are the concrete joints linking it to Wharf Road and the ramp linking it to Lagos Island and Iddo.
Many of the pillars supporting the bridge have structural defects, caused by successive fires which have exposed the steel rods within them. To make matters worse, the bridge routinely bears the weight of hundreds of petrol tankers waiting to load supplies from the depots in Apapa.
It goes without saying that the traffic situation on the bridge is horrendous. Motorists are compelled to either undertake a torturous negotiation of huge pot-holes and protruding steel rods on the bridge itself, or divert to service lanes and drive against traffic in their attempts to bypass the bridge.
It is difficult to underestimate the implications of this tragic situation. The Apapa-Ijora Bridge is the spinal cord connecting Nigeria’s commercial nerve centres of Lagos Island, Iddo and the Apapa Central Business District (CBD), incorporating financial institutions, wholesalers, shipping firms and oil-marketing companies. It is the main entryway to the country’s two largest ports, the Lagos Port and Tin Can Island Port Complexes.
Given the concentration of businesses in the area it serves, the poor condition of the bridge as well as that of the adjoining Oshodi-Apapa Expressway has resulted in the loss of thousands of man-hours on a daily basis. Accidents are common; an articulated truck fell off the bridge in July. The heavy traffic jams often facilitate criminal activities, especially the robbing of commuters at gunpoint. The environmental pollution resulting from the emissions of thousands of vehicles and the implications for the health of commuters and residents can only be imagined.
If nothing is done to carry out the urgent renovation that the Apapa-Ijora Bridge so desperately requires, it will eventually collapse. The consequent loss of life and damage to property would be a major disaster unparalleled in the annals of Nigerian history, not to mention the logistical implications for the many businesses located in the areas served by the bridge.
Immediate measures must be taken to repair the bridge. In 2012, the federal and Lagos State governments set up a technical committee to look at ways of regenerating the Apapa axis. It came up with 12 recommendations, including detailed plans for the rehabilitation of the major roads and bridges in the area. Even though the committee’s report was submitted to the National Economic Council in June 2012, nothing was done. The Federal Government must work with the Ambode administration to implement this plan, which represents the most comprehensive approach to resolving the Apapa crisis. Fixing the Apapa-Ijora Bridge alone will not solve the problem; an integrated approach incorporating rehabilitating roads, relocating tankers, reducing vehicular traffic, landscaping, sanitisation and demarcation is essential.
Lagos State has had to struggle with the problem of dilapidated bridges over the past few years. Between July 2012 and February 2015, the Third Mainland Bridge, the Eko Bridge and the Marine Beach Bridge have all undergone extensive rehabilitation. In most cases, action was taken only when the state of disrepair became far too obvious to ignore. This cannot continue. The regular maintenance of infrastructure should become the norm rather than the exception.
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