CITIZENS COMPASS—The Lagos State Government through the Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Sunday, issued a stern admonition to proprietors and operators of event centres, nightclubs, recreational lounges, and organisers of all categories of social gatherings within Lagos State. The warning implores them to refrain from actions that obstruct the unhindered flow of vehicular movement or precipitate avoidable traffic dislocations.
This uncompromising directive was handed down over the weekend by the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, during his strategic surveillance and on-the-spot inspections at various high-traffic corridors across the metropolis.
Mr. Bakare-Oki expressed profound dismay at the persistent trend in which glitzy events and festive assemblages flagrantly encroach upon public roadways—thereby engendering preventable traffic snarls, jeopardising emergency access routes, and subjecting commuters to undue hardship.
He reaffirmed that the Lagos State Government, under the visionary and reform-driven leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, remains resolute in its mandate to uphold order, discipline, and equity on the roads. He cautioned that the State will no longer condone the unbridled conversion of public spaces into parking extensions or spillover zones for commercial entertainment.
“It is both necessary and urgent to reassert, in categorical terms, that no individual, corporate body, or event organisers regardless of stature or affiliation has the prerogative to appropriate public roadways as ancillary extensions of their private ventures or leisure domains,” Mr. Bakare-Oki warned.
He stressed that any venue be it a club, banquet hall, or social arena found guilty of willful obstruction through indiscriminate parking, illegal closure of access roads, or encroachment on road shoulders will be subject to immediate punitive measures with full-scale legal prosecutions.
To bolster compliance and proactive intervention, the General Manager instructed all LASTMA Zonal Commanders and Monitoring Units to scale up intelligence gathering, intensify patrols, and deploy traffic officers to strategic hotspots particularly during weekends, festivities, and high-capacity evening events. He further encouraged members of the public to promptly report violations via the Agency’s dedicated toll-free emergency line: 0800-00-LASTMA (080000527862).
Mr. Bakare-Oki also enjoined owners of hospitality and entertainment establishments to demonstrate responsible corporate citizenship by engaging certified traffic personnel or, where necessary, designing detailed traffic management blueprints in consultation with LASTMA prior to hosting large-scale gatherings.
“As Lagos continues to integrate technology into its urban infrastructure transforming transportation, digital governance, and public service delivery, it becomes increasingly imperative for all residents and stakeholders to embrace a culture of discipline, respect for civic order, and responsible use of shared infrastructure,” he remarked.
“Traffic gridlocks arising from unregulated social activities constitute an egregious affront to collective wellbeing and a needless impediment to the city’s economic momentum.”
He affirmed that LASTMA’s enforcement campaign would be impartial, rigorous, and anchored in statutory provisions governing traffic control and environmental regulation across Lagos State.
The General Manager reiterated the Agency’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with security agencies and other regulatory institutions in sustaining a zero-tolerance stance toward all forms of road encroachment and obstruction regardless of the social or commercial context.
LASTMA, therefore, calls upon all stakeholders within the hospitality, entertainment, and event management sectors to act with foresight and civic integrity by adhering strictly to established traffic protocols. By doing so, they will be contributing meaningfully to the creation of a more orderly, navigable, and livable Lagos.
