Bad Roads Choke Trade In Lagos’ Aboru Community

IN Aboru, a community near Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, female traders say bad roads are crippling their businesses and livelihoods.

Residents lament that despite a new bridge over the local canal, road projects promised years ago remain incomplete, leaving streets impassable—especially during rains, which often trap residents indoors and cut off access to schools, markets, and workplaces.

“We need the roads repaired so customers can reach us,” said Abiola Omowunmi, whose friend’s fabric shop often sits empty. Another resident, Labake, a tailor, said many families have moved out and businesses shut down because of the poor infrastructure.

Community leaders and traders alike insist that only proper roads can revive commerce and restore life to Aboru, where economic activity has slowed to a crawl.