A Look Into The Yearly Traffic 'Convention' on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

RCCG Call to Grace and Traffic Convention
A Call to Lagos and Ogun State Government for Resolution
The Impact of the Yearly Stand-Still Traffic on Businesses.

The movement of people from one place to another is a constant feature of human life. Across the globe, transportation remains the backbone of social and economic development. No city or country can truly thrive without a reliable, efficient, and well-maintained transport system.

While various modes of transport exist including air, rail, sea, and road, it is road transport that continues to dominate, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Its advantages are well known affordable, easy accessibility, door-to-door service, and the ability to connect with other transport systems. However, rapid urbanisation has put enormous strain on these road networks, leading to chronic congestion in many cities.

On a much larger scale, the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria’s oldest inter-state highway commissioned in 1978 remains one of the country’s most crucial transportation routes. Serving as the main gateway between Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, and the rest of the country, it plays a central role in regional trade, commuting, and national integration.

Yet the road struggles under the weight of poor traffic control and unregulated commercial activities. Roadside traders and hawkers often spill into the roadway, obstructing traffic and reducing the usable space for vehicles. With no functional traffic lights or intelligent traffic management systems, movement here relies heavily on the manual effort of a few wardens, leading to frequent bottlenecks and delays.

Daily, the route accommodates over 250,000 vehicles, making it one of the busiest in Africa. During peak hours, weekends, and festive periods, it transforms into a nightmare of long queues, broken-down vehicles, and stifled movement. For many Nigerians, particularly those commuting from Ogun and Oyo States into Lagos, this is a daily struggle with high emotional and economic costs.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Traffic delays on this route do not just waste time they result in loss of productivity, increased fuel consumption, emotional stress, and even the loss of lives in medical emergencies.

For the purpose of this writing, today, 9th of August 2025, happens to be the last day for the year’s RCCG’s 73rd Annual Convention resulting in a standstill congestion fueled by surge in vehicular movement at the axis of concentration.

Some drivers claim they allegedly spent over five hours covering short distances, with some rescheduling travel plans.

The gridlock went beyond the RCCG Camp gate inward Lagos affecting few bus stops before it including OPIC, Mowe, Lotto, Pakuro, NASFAT, Asese, Ibafo and way beyond.

According to reports retrieved by Eko Hot Blog, the traffic often referred to as go-slow in Nigeria really proved its christening right as commuters go through long hours to ply the road to destination. Many were found resolving and choosing to trek the long distances rather than sitting in commercial buses. According to sources on ground, car owners are likely to go through tough times because of the stand still.

This development depicts the constant congestion motorists face along the route. As a major route serving as an inter-state and within state connection, the rather slim road does not ease the daily struggle of Nigerians but rather topples it.

Tracing Project Delays
The need to rehabilitate the Lagos–Ibadan expressway had been acknowledged for decades. Efforts to reconstruct the road date back to the Obasanjo administration, but meaningful progress only began in 2013, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan awarded the contract to Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) at a cost of ₦167 billion.

However, inconsistent funding and bureaucratic hurdles led to slow execution. Attempts to concession the road were bogged down by legal disputes. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, the project received a fresh lease of life in 2016, with contractors re-mobilised to site. More recently, an additional ₦80 billion was approved by the Federal Executive Council for the Sagamu–Ibadan stretch.

Despite these efforts, progress remains uneven. The project, divided into two main sections, has seen delays linked to funding gaps, change in design scope, and logistical challenges.

Highway Horror

The annual RCCG gatherings from Holy Ghost Congress and conventions to congresses have consistently triggered massive traffic drag-throughs along the road. For many motorists, a trip from Berger to Redemption Camp that ought to take minutes can stretch into hours.

By 2022, the after-effects of road construction combined with convention exodus led to gridlock from Berger to Magboro. Drivers returning from the church contributed heavily to the disruption. Historically, attendees and vendors mobile or fixed throng the corridors, selling services and goods to stranded drivers, creating both economic vibrancy and chaos.

In August 2022, the blend of construction woes and mass pilgrim movement mixed with the usual go-slow at the time was a recipe for unimaginable carnage. Witnesses cited that the gridlock stretched from Berger to Magboro, enraging drivers and tempers flaring.

It is a ripple quantum effect. The traffic plays an unwanted terrible role in the spike in transport fare even if it is just for few days. With samples of prices hitting as high as N2000 from N400 and so on. In 2023, a commuter named Adewale lamented to newsmen said that he paid ₦1,000 from Berger to Magboro, a leap from ₦400; Adewunmi paid ₦700 from Ketu to Mowe instead of the usual ₦500; and Joy, trying to visit a sick relative, ended up paying ₦1,300forcing her to ask family to send more money just to get home. Many other anonymous source even said that period is one of the cogent reasons they left the axis. A landlord along the road said that his doctor advised him to relocate sepcifically because of the amount of time he spends on the road alone – as at the time before the major revamp of the road, he said he spends four hours trying to get by his day.

Challenges In Efforts to Ease the Pain

RCCG has deployed strategies to mitigate congestion. In 2014, the church cautioned motorists to exercise patience, and marshalled volunteers alongside police, FRSC, and NSCDC to guide traffic; they also expanded parking and opened feeder routes. Similar measures were re-emphasized in later years, with reassurances of proper queuing and parking protocols.

Meanwhile, Ogun State’s TRACE agency deployed up to 150 traffic officers during conventions in 2017 to key locations on the expressway and adjoining roads.

Infrastructure promises remain. In 2018, Julius Berger unveiled plans for an interchange at the RCCG junction to channel inflows and ease gridlock.

Yet critics argue the root problems lie deeper: aging road lanes, bad spots, and narrowing corridors due to ongoing construction play a bigger role than the church’s presence. Some hold that RCCG, while not responsible per se, does unintentionally amplify an existing structural failure.

A Call For Governments, Community, Church, Traffic Management Harmony To Resolve Issue

According to reports from experts aimed at effectively managing the challenges posed by the influx of visitors to Redemption City, Lagos and Ogun states must work closely together.

Coordinated efforts should focus on scheduling traffic flows more efficiently, including deploying extra lanes and even staggering convention start times to ease congestion.

Priority must be given to fast-tracking the construction of dedicated slip roads or an interchange near the camp, alongside timely repairs to drainage systems and road surfaces, to ensure smoother access.

Strategic traffic management is also crucial. Agencies such as TRACE, LASTMA, and the FRSC need to align their efforts by improving traffic signaling, increasing patrol presence, and enhancing emergency response mechanisms.

Motorists can be kept informed ahead of time through various communication channels like mobile apps, radio broadcasts, and SMS alerts about peak congestion periods, with recommendations for alternative routes to avoid gridlocks.

In addition, churches can play a pivotal role by introducing scheduled entry and exit times for worshippers to spread out the heavy vehicle influx more evenly. Promoting parking at designated satellite locations outside Redemption City, paired with shuttle bus services, would significantly reduce the volume of private vehicles on the expressway, thereby easing traffic pressures.

Finally, the local community’s involvement is vital. Efforts should be made to formalize and organize roadside vendors to enhance their livelihoods while minimizing hazards along the roads.

It is equally important for local businesses and residents to be well-informed about traffic management plans and have contingency measures in place to adapt swiftly during peak periods.

Through collaborative and coordinated actions across government, religious institutions, and the community, the challenges of managing traffic and safety around Redemption City can be effectively addressed, ensuring a smoother and safer experience for all.

Lagos–Ibadan Expressway is more than a road it’s a lifeline. So too is Redemption City, a spiritual magnet and urban anchor. Their intersection is sacred and civic.