Plying through the megacity of Lagos when it rains, motorists would oftentimes find themselves ruing their luck because of the clogged roads and slow movement brought about by flooding. Even though Lagosian workers are familiar with the stress that comes with these type of situations, nothing prepared them for an exceptionally difficult Wednesday, 2 April 2025, returning to their offices from the Eid al-Fitr holiday, as the Independence Bridge had been shut – so, is this an invitation then for permanence regarding remote work?

Events around the upscale Lagos Island area on Wednesday have led to this question being asked. After the Holy Month of Ramadan had ended, and the lessons learned had been digested over the short break, the returning workers navigating through Independence Bridge along the Marina-bound axis found themselves in tight spots on the road.

The warning about plans to shut an area of the Independence Bridge had come a day prior from the Federal Ministry of Works’ Controller for Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, who, so far, is being reprimanded for not seeking approval first from the Honourable Minister manning the ministry.

A statement by Mrs. Kesha about the intended closure came on the last day of March, and the goal then was to facilitate essential maintenance and rehabilitation works on the bridge, but the problem up to 96 hours since the diversion of traffic was announced has been how it was managed.

The Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Umayi, who served as a Senator for three months, in his reactions after the resulting gridlock had started to unfold, admitted that he was not informed about the execution, even though stakeholders generally agreed that rehabilitation work needed to commence.

ALSO READ: Rainy Wednesday exposes the ugliness of living in upscale Lagos

In the thick of the road closure hurdle, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu went to the site of the reconstruction work yesterday, and while there he encouraged companies to let their staff members try out carrying out their duties offsite as enterprise management technological tools offer a whole range of possibilities which allow organisations to connect with their team behind a computer or smart phone.

This morning, I arrived at the Independence Bridge, Bonny Camp, to personally assess the ongoing repair work being carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works. Mr. Sanwo-Olu confirmed in a tweet on X that he posted yesterday afternoon.

After this introduction came an apology to all Lagosians for the severe traffic congestion they have experienced. I understand the frustration, delays, and disruption this has caused in your daily lives, he said, which is why a shift in mindset is being proposed.

Bursting at the seams Lagos

With 20million residents either permanently living or working in Lagos, a change, to put it in honest form, is considered compulsory.

Although the minister of works, Engr. Umahi gave some sort of assurance while speaking to reporters on Thursday, 3 April, saying, what we are doing now is to restore the bridge temporarily within the next three days, the effort is expected to only free up half a portion of the carriageway, while repair, going into months, would continue.

As this process slowly gathers pace, the Lagos State Governor has assured that his government is not just watching from the sidelines. Mr. Sanwo-Olu on X said additional traffic monitoring officials and security personnel have been deployed to ensure traffic flows freely. This was right before he got to the crux of posting in the first place.

Urging businesses and organisations across Lagos to explore flexible work arrangements, including remote work and hybrid models, the governor advocated that a temporary shift in work culture can go a long way in reducing traffic pressure and supporting our collective wellbeing.

To get here, he wants the parties, meaning most of the employers, if not all, to let us embrace innovative solutions that keep our city moving while we carry out critical infrastructure repairs. Together, we can build a more resilient, responsive, and liveable Lagos.

A day marked by disruption

As the skies wept over Lagos on Wednesday, streets that usually buzz with life transformed into slow-moving streams of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The seasonal rains, notorious for flooding various parts of the megacity, had compounded a bigger problem on this particular day. The closure of the Independence Bridge meant that vehicles had no alternative but to seek convoluted routes through already congested roads.

Diversions through the notorious arteries near Marina and Victoria Island intensified the ordeal, which made Data Analyst Funmilayo Omoloja, also on X, tweet her thoughts that favour offsite job opportunities. I don’t think Lagos should be a place where people get to go to work every day!!! Today’s Traffic is the reason why I’ll always prefer Remote or, better still, Hybrid work mode than on-site. Because, what’s all this stress for? It’s not worth it in any way.

The voice of a human resources professional was also heard. Victor Onyekonwea, who is passionate about the world of work and reports insights on hiring, culture, as well as the future of work, has some encouragement for the next time someone wants to apply for employment.

I hope the recent turn of events will ensure that you negotiate for full-remote or hybrid work in your next job interview. Full on-site in this Lagos is crazy.

Lagosians are beginning to see that the traditional workday may be due for transformation. And will the push for remote work become a permanent solution, freeing the workforce from traffic jams and urban ruins?

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.