The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced a total ban of commercial motorcycle operators otherwise known as Okada riders in 6 local government areas in the state. This is coming barely 2 days after a task force in the state embarked on a serious clampdown of Okada riders on the Lekki axis.

The affected local government listed by the governor includes Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa.

Sanwo-Olu, who said that the ban is indefinite and total, gave out the directive at a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja.The new directive from the governor appears to be a follow up to the February 2020 restriction placed on the activities of these commercial motorcyclists in these areas. 

He further stated that the state government took the decision in line with the State’s Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 to immediately address the chaos and menace created by the operations of Okada in the above listed areas.

He told the police to enforce the order without compromise.

The Governor said, “After a critical review of our restriction on Okada activities in the first six Local Government Areas where we restricted them on February 1, 2020, we have seen that the menace has not abated. We are now directing a total ban on Okada activities across the highways and bridges within these six Local Government and their Local Council Development Areas, effective from June 1, 2022.

Reasons For the Ban:

Recall that 2 days ago, the Lagos State Task Force embarked on a serious clampdown of commercial motorcyclists on the Lekki axis in a move that appears to be connected to the outrage that greeted the killing and burning of a young man, simply identified as David by suspected motorcyclists in the Admiralty area of Lekki, Lagos.

* It was learnt that the victim, who was a sound engineer, was lynched and burnt to death after a misunderstanding ensued over the N100 balance with one of the commercial motorcyclists.

* The incident coincided with the Sokoto mob attack that killed a Shehu Shagari College of Education student, Deborah Emmanuel, over alleged blasphemy.

Also,among the reasons given by the Lagos State Government for imposing this ban was the rising spate of insecurity in the state. The government has argued that criminality in the state was facilitated by the use of motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, as a getaway means by hoodlums. And these commercial motorcyclist have no regard for traffic regulations and are a major involvement of traffic in the state.

Effects on Businesses and Lagosians:Though well-intentioned,the timing and blanket nature of this ban has left much to be desired. 

For instance, these motorbikes often provide easy transportation for commuters in Lagos State, especially during those gridlocks, ensuring that they arrive at their destinations on time and save the economy man-hours that would have been lost in traffic. They also keep hundreds of thousands of low-skilled Lagosians away from criminality by providing them with a legitimate source of income.

If the Lagos State Government really wants to arrest the insecurity in the state,it should look towards employing more sustainable avenues with less radical approach. Similarly it must beef up its security apparatus and change its modus operandi from reactive policing to proactive policing through intelligence gathering. It should also create more employment opportunities that will keep Lagosians gainfully employed by incentivizing the private sector. All these and more should have been put in place before the ban to cushion the socio-economic impact.

What the ban means to Lagos State and it’s residents 

Self inflicted pain:Given that Lagos is a state that is prone to gridlock, why ban the alternative that was easing transportation in the most congested and second most populated state in Nigeria, without offering alternative(s)?

The ban has compelled those who used to park their cars at home in order to take motorcycles or tricycles to their destinations, to begin driving again. Consequently, the number of vehicles on the road has increased, compounding the traffic situation.

Increased cost of living in Lagos: The ban has resulted in increase in transport fare. Commercial buses (yellow buses) have hiked their prices, and this will affect the cost of goods and services in Lagos, thereby increasing the cost of living within Lagos state. The ban will double the projection for Lagosians who are already living in a costly state compared to other areas in Nigeria.