morganable News / Communities
Residents of Olaoluwa Community in the Igando-Ikotun area of Lagos State are appealing for urgent road repairs after more than 30 years of neglect. They say the damaged road has disrupted businesses, put schoolchildren at risk and made access to a general hospital difficult.
Lagos —
Residents of Olaoluwa Community Development Association in the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area are calling on the Lagos State Government and the local council to rehabilitate their deteriorating road.
They said the road had remained in poor condition for more than three decades, despite several appeals for government intervention.
According to the residents, the situation has affected daily transportation, commercial activities and access to essential services. They are particularly worried about the difficulties faced by pregnant women, schoolchildren and other people who depend on the road.
The community said it had made repeated efforts to draw the authorities’ attention to the problem. However, residents claimed that their complaints had not produced the response they needed.
For people living in Olaoluwa, the issue goes beyond driving on a damaged road. It affects how children get to school, how traders move their goods and how residents reach healthcare facilities.
They are now asking the relevant authorities to assess the road and provide a lasting solution.
Residents recount decades of neglect
Speaking with Independent Newspapers, the Chairman of the Community Development Association, Moses Adeola, said the road had remained in a deplorable condition for more than 30 years.
He explained that residents had tried different ways to get government attention. These included writing letters, sharing videos of the road and using radio stations to publicise their concerns.
Despite these efforts, Adeola said the community had yet to receive the intervention it expected.
The prolonged neglect has made movement difficult for residents and other people who use the route.
Community roads play an important role in connecting people to schools, markets, workplaces and healthcare facilities. When these roads become difficult to navigate, the effects often spread across several aspects of daily life.
For example, traders may struggle to move their goods, workers may spend more time travelling and families may face additional costs when arranging transportation.
These are some of the difficulties residents say they have experienced in Olaoluwa.
Damaged road raises concerns about hospital access
One of the community’s major concerns is the difficulty of reaching a general hospital through the damaged road.
Adeola said the road connects several communities and serves as an important route for people seeking medical attention.
He also raised concerns about accidents involving pregnant women and other residents being transported to the hospital.
The situation has increased worries about the safety of people who need urgent medical care.
In an emergency, access to a healthcare facility can make a significant difference. Pregnant women, elderly people, children and residents with serious injuries may need immediate transportation.
However, potholes, damaged surfaces and waterlogged sections can make journeys slower and more difficult.
The problem may become worse during rainfall, when water covers damaged portions of the road and makes it harder for drivers to identify dangerous spots.
For residents who depend on this route to reach a hospital, maintaining the road is therefore an important public safety concern.
They fear that continued neglect could expose more people to avoidable risks.
Transport operators avoid the community
The road’s condition has also affected commercial transportation.
Adeola said commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators were finding it increasingly difficult to enter the community.
As a result, some residents have to walk from the nearest bus stop to their homes.
This creates additional hardship for workers returning from their jobs, traders carrying goods and parents travelling with their children.
Residents who return home late may also face safety concerns, particularly when they have to cover long distances on foot.
The situation affects transport operators as well. Poor road conditions can increase vehicle maintenance costs and expose motorcycles and tricycles to damage.
Over time, operators may decide to avoid routes that are difficult and expensive to navigate.
When that happens, residents are left with fewer transportation options. They may have to spend more time and money completing journeys that should be straightforward.
Businesses lose customers
Beyond transportation, residents said the damaged road had affected businesses within the community.
A former chairman of Prestige Community Development Association, now Ultimate CDA, Oluwokiti Ephraim, appealed to the state and local governments to intervene.
He explained that residents had made several attempts to address the problem but lacked the financial resources to carry out the necessary repairs.
His concern highlights the limits of community contributions when major infrastructure requires attention.
Residents can organise sanitation exercises, support minor repairs and contribute to neighbourhood projects. However, rehabilitating a road that serves several communities requires technical expertise, equipment and substantial funding.
Poor access can also discourage customers and suppliers from visiting businesses in the area.
Customers may choose shops in more accessible locations, while suppliers may become reluctant to deliver goods through difficult routes.
For small business owners, fewer customers and higher operating costs can affect daily income.
Doris Alaba, a resident who has lived in the community for almost 20 years, said the poor road condition had forced several businesses to close.
Her account shows how prolonged infrastructure problems can affect the economic life of a neighbourhood.
When businesses struggle, the effects can extend to workers, traders, suppliers and families who depend on those activities for their livelihoods.
Schoolchildren face safety risks
Residents have also expressed concern about the risks schoolchildren face while using the road.
They said damaged sections, deep potholes and muddy surfaces make movement difficult, especially during rainfall.
Water-filled potholes are particularly dangerous because pedestrians may not be able to see how deep they are.
Children walking to school may have to avoid damaged sections while sharing the road with vehicles attempting to navigate the same obstacles.
These conditions increase the risk of falls and other accidents.
Alaba recalled an incident in which she fell into a water-filled pothole.
She also described the difficulty of getting assistance to transport her luggage to the bus stop before travelling to the airport.
Her experience reflects the daily challenges residents encounter when moving through the community.
For parents, the situation creates additional anxiety. They want their children to get to school safely, but poor road conditions can make even routine journeys difficult.
The challenges may become more serious during the rainy season, particularly where drainage is inadequate and water collects on damaged sections.
Residents believe that rehabilitating the road would improve safety for children and other pedestrians.
Residents seek answers from government
The community’s repeated appeals have raised questions about the response of the relevant authorities.
Adeola said residents had used several channels to draw attention to the road’s condition. However, they remained concerned about the lack of visible intervention.
Ephraim also maintained that the community could not independently finance the required repairs.
While residents can support local development efforts, major road rehabilitation requires government planning, funding and technical supervision.
The community also needs clarity about which authority is responsible for the road, whether officials have inspected it and whether any rehabilitation plan exists.
Independent Newspapers reported that the Executive Chairman of the Igando-Ikotun LCDA, Lasisi Akinsanya, did not answer calls placed to him.
A text message sent to him had also not received a response as of the time the report was filed.
Consequently, the report did not establish the council’s position on the residents’ complaints or whether it planned to intervene.
A response from the council and other relevant authorities would help clarify the road’s status, previous complaints and possible plans for repairs.
Residents call for lasting rehabilitation
For Olaoluwa residents, rehabilitating the road could improve transportation, business activities, school journeys and access to healthcare.
However, they need more than temporary repairs.
Authorities would have to assess the road’s condition and determine the drainage work required to prevent further deterioration.
This is important because poor drainage and water accumulation can weaken road surfaces and reduce the lifespan of repair work.
A properly planned rehabilitation project could provide a more lasting solution.
Residents would also benefit from clear information about the proposed work, its expected timeline and the agencies responsible for carrying it out.
The appeal from Olaoluwa reflects the wider importance of neighbourhood infrastructure in improving living conditions.
For residents, a road left in poor condition for decades is more than an inconvenience. It affects livelihoods, education, healthcare access and personal safety.
The accounts shared by Adeola, Ephraim and Alaba show how one infrastructure problem can affect different parts of community life.
The immediate expectation is for the relevant authorities to inspect the road, engage with residents and communicate a practical plan for intervention.
Ultimately, residents should not have to endure decades of hardship before their concerns receive attention.
For Olaoluwa, the demand is simple: a safe and accessible road that allows residents, schoolchildren, traders and emergency vehicles to move without unnecessary difficulty.
