Lateef Jakande Academy Fellows illuminate Lagos pedestrian bridges

Fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) have launched solar-powered lights to be installed on pedestrian bridges across the state, saying the initiative was borne out of the need to improve public safety and reduce crime on Lagos’s pedestrian bridges.

The project, tagged “Brighter Bridges, Safer Lagos,” unveiled at a press briefing on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, features the installation of 55 high-efficiency solar LED lights along the bridge and staircases of the Alausa–CMD corridor.

This was just as they disclosed that plans were in the pipeline to move to Iyana-Oworo, a major pedestrian hub connecting Lagos mainland to the Third Mainland Bridge, following the successful deployment at Alausa.

Speaking on the project, Damilola said the initiative aimed to address growing safety concerns linked to unlit bridges across the state, sadly noting that lack of lighting had exposed pedestrians to increased risks of robbery, harassment, and even fatal road accidents.

He noted that the refusal of many Lagosians to make use of the bridges is a result of safety concerns at night, saying that many had been victims of robbery attacks on those bridges, as many tried to avoid dark bridges and cross busy highways instead.

“Each day, millions of Lagosians rely on pedestrian bridges to navigate our ever-busy roads. However, a growing number of these vital structures are poorly lit or completely dark at night, posing serious safety risks to residents.

“Reports by the ecosystem reveal that fear of robbery has forced people to

just walk across expressways, exposing them to fatal dangers, while rising cases of theft, harassment, and gender-based violence continue to increase. Engagements with pedestrians reveal that fear of robberies leads them to avoid the bridge and risk highway crossings at night,” Damilola said.

“Each day, millions of Lagosians rely on pedestrian bridges, yet too many of these structures are plunged in darkness at night. This project is our response, blending solar innovation, safety, and community ownership,” he added.

Damilola, while further noting that the initiative aligned with key government frameworks, including the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos Smart City Blueprint, and Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), stressed that the long-term goal was to replicate the model across high-risk pedestrian bridges in Lagos. 

He said, to achieve the set goal, monitoring indicators would include lighting uptime, public satisfaction surveys, and incident reporting in partnership with the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE