The Danne Institute for Research (DIR) has reported that approximately N4 trillion is lost annually in Lagos State, attributing this loss to traffic congestion, News About Nigeria reports.
In a report titled ‘Behavioural Causes of Traffic Congestion in Lagos,’ funded by the Bank of Industry and Africa Finance Corporation and presented in Lagos on Wednesday, the institute highlighted that improved traffic behaviour in Lagos State could save an estimated N4 trillion lost to traffic congestion each year.
Franca Ovadje, the Executive Director of the Danne Institute for Research, also emphasized that redirecting the yearly losses in the state could benefit essential sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
Ovadje further revealed that an efficient traffic situation in the state would save time and energy, ultimately boosting employee productivity.
According to her, behavioural factors such as poor road infrastructure, violations of traffic laws, activities of agberos at bus stops, and buses picking up passengers were major contributors to traffic congestion.
Despite a population of 21 million, there was no corresponding increase in productivity due to poor connectivity. This, she noted, led to the loss of man-hours in traffic jams experienced by residents in the state.
She called on government authorities to prioritize recommendations provided by the people of Lagos. These recommendations include the construction, repair, and maintenance of roads, a ban on agberos, and strict enforcement of traffic laws.
Ovadje stressed that implementing these recommendations would not only enhance productivity and attract investments but also generate substantial internally generated revenue through law enforcement.
