The old unedifying Oshodi terminal in Lagos is fast giving way to a new enchanting edifice, courtesy of the state government, writes, ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is not a prophet. But when he told Lagosians that “the Oshodi you see now, you would see no more,” he was more or less prophetic.
This was when he unveiled the masterplan for the interchange in May, last year. When completed, it would turn the hitherto rustic terminal into a world-class business district and transport interchange, he added.
Oshodi, with its street lights powered by a battery of generating units under the bridge, was, until now, the best that could be.
That itself, achieved byAmbode’s predecessor Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was not without a ‘war’ with street traders, area boys and transport union members, who made the place unsafe, especially at night.
Oshodi had, over the years, yielded up much of its space to uncoordinated bus terminals, with 17 bus parks scattered around the area, which accomodates 10,000 vehicular and a little above one million- passenger traffic daily.
The past
In months, going by the frenzied pace of work, majority of Lagosians, especially the younger generation, may lose memory of the old Oshodi, which was a bedlam of noise and grisly crime.
Oshodi, founded by descendants of Chief Balogun Oshodi Tapa, a wealthy protégé of King Esinlokun, has seen phenomenal growth in the last century, from a small farm settlement into a major transportation hub. Oshodi’s character is defined largely by the parks.
From a terminus that accommodates just a few handful of vehicles (both commercial and private), in the 40s, Oshodi became, within decades, Africa’s biggest terminus, by the turn of the millennium.
The race to transform Oshodi started at the turn of the millennium. It led to the forced eviction of traders who had taken over the service lane, from Oshodi under bridge to PWD, forcing the Yellow buses (called Molue) and other motorists to only one lane.
The government also embarked upon massive demolition of shanties – shops erected on the road shoulders, and placed a special squad of policemen to instill discipline even among commercial transport operators, who, with impunity, flouted all traffic rules and regulations. The government completed the routing with street lighting. An area that for decades was on the Police Command’s black spot’s list, it was a major shift from the past.
When Ambode started the massive demolition at Oshodi, residents saw another task master. Not until he unveiled a world-class interchange that would stand on the rubbles of its rusty past.
The new plan
Ambode’s robust plan, which execution began on June 1, last year, will, ultimately, turn Oshodi into a Central Business District (CBD).
The new district will have, as its hub, a three-floor transportation interchange sitting on a 30,000 square metres for each terminal to take care of parking and passenger demands.
At a forum Ambode said: “The Oshodi you see today shall be a thing of the past in the next 15 months as a world-class transport interchange will be coming up here.”
The governor’s Special Adviser on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule, said the plan would address urban renewal in Oshodi, solve its environmental degradation and strengthen its security architecture.
The plan, she said, would boost intra-city tourism, making the area a tourist destination, thereby increasing the economic value of the state, where business, travel and leisure would be conducted in a serene, secured, clean and orderly environment.
“This plan would see the total rebranding of the old Oshodi, thus turning Lagos into a befitting and an iconic international gateway to the rest of the world. It would also ensure an organised transport system that will ensure free flowing traffic,” she said.
The project, originally, was meant to be built on a public-private partnership initiative between the government, represented by Ibile Holdings, Translink Capital Development Limited and Planet Projects Limited.
The plan has since changed, with the government being the sole financier.
The contractor, Planet Project’s Managing Director, Mr. Biodun Otunola, said the interchange is the first of its kind in the world.
He said the project, which is at 40 percent completion level, would be delivered next June.
The interchange has three wings – Terminal One, from Mosafejo Market axis, would be for inter-state transport, while Terminal Two and Three, from the former Owonifari Market and adjacent NAFDAC, will cater for intra-city transport.
All the terminals, Otunola said, will have standard facilities, including waiting area, loading bays, ticketing stands, driver lounge, parking areas, and rest rooms, among others.
“It is a 70,000 square metres that will accommodate shopping malls adjacent to the bus terminals and come with accessible walkways and pedestrian bridges and a state-of-the-art sky-walk to link all the three terminals.
“It would have bus lanes, lay-bys, green parks to soften the environment and proper waste management strategy, fencing, street lighting and a dedicated security team for Oshodi including surveillance tower, CCTVs, among others,” Otunola further added.
He said Oshodi interchange would be an iconic landmark in the state. It would have a world-class business park, multi-storey car park, the first in the world, and an enchanting ambience that would promote commerce and rebase the state’s economic activities.
“The Oshodi interchange would change the face of the entire area and attract tourists from within and outside this shores,” Otunola added.
The project has been attracting priases from stakeholders. Lagos State Chapter of the National Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede praised Ambode for embarking on the project. He pledged the support of his members to its completion.
Oshodi-Isolo Local Government former Executive Secretary Hon. Olajobi Adeola described the project as another signature project of Ambode. He said with the level of work, Lagosians were beginning to see that the government meant well with the initiative.
A transportation and logistics expert, Mr. Patrick Adenusi, described the interchange as a sign that finally, “our leaders have started thinking and dreaming”. He said though he did not doubt the government’s ability to deliver a world-standard interchange, he feared the state’s maintenance culture, which, he claimed, is “still abysmally low”.
He said: “This is one of the nice things to be seen in these parts, especially as it is along the nation’s international gateway. There is no doubt that the governor would continue to maintain the project and whoever comes after him would love to continue on the pedestal of the governor.”
Adenusi said area boys would not threaten the project as the government had installed close circuit (CCTv) cameras in the area, and would not hesitate to deploy more Rapid Response (RRS) operatives to provide round-the-clock surveillance and security.
“I want to believe that the contractor would also not design such a beautiful interchange without building security component, such as close circuit cameras. Gradually, the tenure of not only the area boys, but also the motor union officials are being gradually faced out with technology and infrastructural development,” Adenusi added.
Conclusion
Adenusi, an advocate of Lane Discipline and founder of Safety Without Borders, said gradually, the state is deploying technology to improve lives of her people, adding that the new interchange, when completed, would be one iconic structure that would for a long time draw huge tourists.
From the crowd of pedestrians that gather just to catch a glimpse of ongoing work at the three site, Adenusi may just be dead right about the crowd that would swoop on Oshodi daily when the project is completed.
