I was driving on the Lekki-Epe Expressway recently when something caught my attention: a metal barrier positioned several metres before a pedestrian bridge.
At first, I thought nothing of it. Just another piece of road furniture. Infrastructure. Standard safety measure.
But then I saw another one. And another. Nearly every pedestrian bridge along that stretch had the same barrier installed a safe distance before the bridge itself.
And then it hit me: I know exactly why those barriers are there.
The Problem We Created
Those barriers exist because of truck drivers, specifically, drivers of tipper trucks that carry and deliver sand.
Here’s what happens: After delivering their load, these drivers are supposed to lower the bucket (that hydraulic platform that lifts to pour out the sand). It’s basic procedure. Essential safety. Part of the job.
But some drivers forget.
They drive off with the bucket still raised. And when they get onto the expressway, travelling at speed with several tonnes of metal elevated high above the cab, they don’t notice the pedestrian bridge ahead until it’s too late.
I’ve witnessed this once. I’ve heard of it happening on other occasions.
The truck slams into the bridge. The entire structure comes down. Thousands, sometimes millions, of Naira worth of public infrastructure destroyed in seconds.
Thankfully, in the incident I saw, no one was on the bridge at the time. But it could easily have been different. People could have died because a driver forgot to do something basic.
So now, the government has been forced to erect barriers before every pedestrian bridge along that road. If a truck with a raised bucket hits the barrier, it happens several metres before the bridge, minimising damage and preventing the bridge from collapsing onto the road below.
The barriers aren’t there because bridges need protection from normal traffic. They’re there because we can’t be trusted to do what we’re supposed to do.
The Cost of Irresponsibility
Do you know how much those barriers cost?
I don’t have exact figures, but I know this: they’re expensive. Heavy-duty metal structures designed to withstand the impact of a multi-tonne truck travelling at highway speed. Installation. Maintenance. Replication across multiple bridges.
That’s public money.
Our money.
Money that could have been spent on something else: schools, hospitals, road repairs, public services that benefit everyone.
Instead, it’s spent managing a problem that is completely avoidable.
If truck drivers simply did their jobs properly, if they followed basic safety protocol and lowered their buckets after delivery, those barriers would be unnecessary.
But we can’t rely on that. So, the government spends money we don’t have to protect infrastructure from our own negligence.
It’s Not Just the Trucks
The pedestrian bridge story doesn’t end there.
Those same bridges? Many Lagosians refuse to use them.
Instead of climbing the stairs and crossing safely above the traffic, people dart across six-lane expressways, dodging cars, risking their lives and causing accidents.
I’ve seen it countless times. A pedestrian bridge stands twenty metres away, and people would rather play Russian roulette with oncoming vehicles than use it.
So what does the government do?
In some areas, they’ve erected mesh fencing down the middle of the road, directly under the pedestrian bridges. The mesh blocks people from crossing, forcing them to use the bridge since there’s no other way to get to the other side.
More public money spent. More infrastructure erected. All to force compliance with something that should be common sense.
But it gets worse.
People cut holes in the mesh.
I’ve seen it. Deliberate vandalism. The fencing is damaged, cut through, torn down so people can still cross the road without using the bridge.
So the government’s next move? In some locations, they’ve replaced the mesh with concrete barriers. Permanent, more expensive, harder to vandalise.
Even more money. Even more resources. All because we refuse to do what’s right.
The Escalation of Enforcement
Do you see the pattern here?
- Build a pedestrian bridge (expensive, but necessary for public safety)
- People refuse to use it
- Erect mesh fencing to force compliance (additional cost)
- People vandalise the mesh
- Build concrete barriers (even more expensive)
- Meanwhile, truck drivers crash into bridges
- Erect protective barriers before every bridge (additional cost on top of everything else)
Each “solution” costs more than the last. And every single one is a response to avoidable behaviour.
This is what happens when a society lacks civic responsibility. When personal convenience is prioritised over public good. When “I can get away with it” becomes the guiding principle.
The government isn’t spending money on innovation or development. It’s spending money on managing our inability to govern ourselves.
Who Pays for This?
Here’s the part that frustrates me most:
We do.
We pay for this.
Every barrier, every mesh, every concrete divider—it all comes from public funds. Taxes. Money that was collected from citizens, meant to improve the nation, now redirected to protect infrastructure from the very people it was built to serve.
And then, here’s the painful irony, we complain about the government.
“Why aren’t there more schools?”
“Why are the roads so bad?”
“Why isn’t there better healthcare?”
“Where is all the money going?”
Some of it is going to barriers. Meshes. Concrete dividers.
We’re costing ourselves our own future.
The money spent preventing truck drivers from destroying bridges could have built new classroom furniture. The money spent forcing pedestrians to use bridges could have funded medical equipment for public hospitals.
But instead, it’s spent managing consequences of behaviour that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
The Governability Question
It makes me wonder: How governable are we as a nation?
I know we love to talk about leadership failures. Corruption. Mismanagement. And yes, those are real issues that need addressing.
But have we looked at ourselves?
If we’re pointing one finger at our leaders, four fingers are pointing back at us.
How easy is it to govern a people who:
- Won’t follow basic safety procedures at work?
- Refuse to use infrastructure built for their protection?
- Vandalise public property meant to keep them safe?
- Prioritise personal convenience over collective wellbeing?
Governance isn’t just about what leaders do. It’s also about whether citizens are willing to be governed, whether we’re willing to do what’s right without needing barriers, fences, and enforcement at every turn.
What Nigeria Really Needs
I’m convinced that Nigeria’s biggest problem isn’t a lack of infrastructure.
It’s a lack of national orientation.
We need a fundamental shift in how we think about our responsibilities as citizens. A cultural reset that says:
- “I will do my job properly, even when no one is watching.”
- “I will use public infrastructure as intended, even if the shortcut is easier.”
- “I will respect what belongs to all of us, even if I could get away with damaging it.”
- “I understand that my choices have consequences beyond myself.”
This isn’t about laws or enforcement. You can’t police civic responsibility. You can’t legislate integrity.
This is about character formation. And character formation starts at home, in schools, in communities, in how we raise the next generation.
It starts with teaching children to use pedestrian bridges instead of darting across highways.
It starts with training workers to follow safety protocols because lives matter, not just because they might get caught.
It starts with instilling the understanding that public property belongs to all of us, and when we damage it, we’re only hurting ourselves.
A Challenge to All of Us
Before we complain about the next government project, the next infrastructure delay, the next budget allocation that seems wasteful, let’s ask ourselves:
How much are we costing the nation by refusing to do what’s right?
How many barriers exist because we can’t be trusted?
How many enforcement measures are in place because we won’t comply voluntarily?
How much money is spent managing our irresponsibility instead of building our future?
We are not victims of bad governance alone. We are also participants in a culture of irresponsibility that makes good governance nearly impossible.
If we want better leadership, we need to become better citizens.
If we want less money wasted on enforcement, we need to start governing ourselves.
If we want a nation that thrives, we need to stop forcing our government to spend millions protecting us from ourselves.
God Help Us
I drove past those barriers on the Lekki Expressway, and I felt something between anger and sadness.
Anger that we’ve made them necessary.
Sadness that this is where we are as a nation.
We have brilliant people. Creative minds. Incredible potential.
But we’re trapped in a cycle where resources that could build schools are spent building barriers. Where money that could fund innovation is spent managing negligence. Where energy that could drive progress is spent enforcing basic compliance.
We need a national orientation. A collective awakening. A decision to be better.
Not because the government is forcing us.
Not because we’re afraid of consequences.
But because we finally understand: when we do wrong, we’re the ones who pay the price.
Those barriers? We paid for them.
Those concrete dividers? We’re still paying for them.
The future we could have had if that money went elsewhere? We’re paying for that too, in opportunities lost and potential squandered.
God help us. Because until we help ourselves, no amount of infrastructure will fix what’s broken.
Reflection Questions
- When was the last time you took a “shortcut” that undermined public good? (Crossing the road instead of using the bridge, cutting a corner, ignoring a safety rule?) What did it cost?
- If you’re a parent, what are you teaching your children about civic responsibility? Do they see you following rules even when no one is watching?
- In your workplace, do you follow procedures even when enforcement is lax? What would change if everyone operated with integrity?
- How much of the “government waste” we complain about is actually the cost of managing our collective irresponsibility?
- What would Nigeria look like if every citizen decided to do what’s right, even when it’s inconvenient?
Let me know your thoughts. This is a conversation we need to have.
20 thoughts on “The Barriers We Force Our Government to Build”
We need to reorient no doubt, starting from our base at hime, school and work
Thank you very much sir.
It can honestly feel like a tall order and a difficult work. The harvest is huge, but stubborn – it hardly wants to be harvested. What do we do?
I laughed all through because this is so apt. Honestly , we need to do better in this nation called ” Nigeria “. We need proper orientation cause nativity is instrumental in these.
However, all these lapses from some of the citizens shouldn’t stop the government from doing the needful. There’s enough money to cater to other amenities and infrastructures ,yet they choose embezzlement over their government duties or responsibilities.
Ju gbogbo e lo. May God heal our land in Christ Jesus’ name.
Nice article bro. May God bless your pen in Christ Jesus’ name. Greater heights.
Amen. Thank you very much Rhoda. God bless you.
Well said, this was just so on point and I enjoyed reading this. Looking forward to more of this.
I am glad you did Folorunsho. Thank you for commenting. Please share with others. I pray for the wisdom to share more insightful articles to help reorient us all.
I don’t think those truck drivers forgot. I honestly think it’s the same system of anyhowness we keep dealing with in this country. Unfortunately, some of the culprits are not even properly educated, so when you try to reason with them or enlighten them as you’ve done in this write-up, they simply shake it off.
This is why I believe there has to be a cost for foolishness. Not innocent citizens paying with their taxes or their lives, but the actual culprits being punished. And not just small, token punishment, but something serious enough to make people think twice. When someone begins to think, “But what I did isn’t even up to the punishment I’ll serve,” maybe, just maybe, people will start adjusting and having sense.
Where there are no strong laws and no enforcement, there will always be nonsense. For every action, there should be clear consequences.
That pedestrian bridge conversation is another example. Apart from people who deliberately avoid using it, some of those who use it have turned it into mini markets. People buy and sell there, some beg there, some even live there, and some louts harass passersby. Same people still go ahead to cut holes into the mesh. Again… system of anyhowness. It’s crazy.
Money that should go into developing other areas keeps going back into repairs. But then again, does the government even want to develop other things? Roads are one of the most visible projects for any administration. People see roads and say, “Oh, the government is working.” So people vandalise, government repairs. Rinse and repeat.
And with every new repair costing more, so does the opportunity for embezzlement… but let me not go there.
Too early to be ranting like this, but it is what it is.
Thanks for reminding us again of our responsibility to keep our environment sane. I pray and hope we do better.
Thank you Anike. Your responses can even provoke 2 or 3 more articles. But then, the real actors may not even read the article – that is if some can read.
Perhaps we need to rant. Perhaps we all need to write or speak – our pens should speak and our speeches should lead to action. We just must be found doing something in a bid to see that in our time we made efforts at changing the minds of our contemporaries. Everything we do or don’t do eventually affect the future of our children and theirs.
Lord help us.
I dislike the feeling i get when i think about the state of things in my beloved blessed country. While I’m super proud to identify as a Nigerian, I acknowledge that we’re not in a good state. But the part that gets me so worked up is that the problem is simple, easy to identify, easy to solve if we’re willing but almost impossible to fix because of the kind of people WE have become. I do my best to be a decent citizen, diligent, law abiding, a person with integrity and all but where most of the people are bent on going down the wrong path, your choice to stand for the right however firm, has little or no effect on the overall outcome. WE are wrong. And it is frustrating, scary even when you pay attention to the rate at which we’re getting worse. If we continue at this pace, it’s horrific to picture the future here.
Nigeria my country, I literally pledged continuously for decades. To uphold Her honour and glory, amongst other solemn vows we so unwittingly swore as we grow. I know many of you did swear the same oath yet it stands that Nigeria does not suffer a “Leadership Problem” like we often proclaim. What we lack is not a good, God fearing leader. Our leaders do not come from space. They spring forth from within Nigerian homes. Showcasing great upbringing and pleasant humanity just like the rest of us.
We have a citizenship problem!
Its alarming, requires urgent acknowledgement.
We have too few of good, even great citizens enveloped by oceans of people who pride themselves in evil deeds.
The good stands in the path of a tsunami of bad. No wonder at all why the good couldn’t make it to the top to lead. The word is Overwhelm.
And overwhelming it may be sadly – unless your little effort is met by another little effort of mine and then we join to reorient as many as we can within our circles. It will overwhelm us both. But my aim in sharing this piece is perhaps to encourage people like you and me who recite the pledge more the rotely but intentionally.
Don’t give up Dare – you are 1 of 7000 prophets we refuse to bow. Let us keep shining that light in our corners and hopefully the rest of the nation will come to the brightness of Christ’s rising through us.
Thank you for commenting.
This was precisely articulated, mindsets truly need to shift, if your personal convenience is to the detriment of your neighbour or your community as a whole then you may just end up frustrating good governance once it shows up because anything worthwhile takes significant effort
You are spot on Kehinde… I couldn’t have said it simpler.
Meanwhile, some would snigger at your mindset though, claiming it exonerates the politicians who may not seem to be really interested in growth of the people but in lining their pockets. What are your thoughts on that?
Hmmmmmmm. It is plenty ooo, and yes, it starts at home. We need to do better. We really need to.
My child must see me queueing instead of jumping the line, and they must see me using the pedestrian bridge. Not dumping refuse on the road. That one they pain me pass, and I agree with Anike, maybe when the shops close to where the refuse is dumped have their shops filled with refuse, people will have sense. Yet again, enforcing it will mean the government will have to employ people for that…another cost….and who says the people won’t be bribed.
It is plenty o. It is. But like Adeolu said, we can start at home, work, and school, and slowly and surely..it will spread.
God help us as we do what’s right and go against the grain
Thank you Lois for your comment. As I said in my response to Adeolu, it is indeed huge work. But you have summarised it by saying we each start within our spheres of control and I like your parenting tilt to it. It may seem like a drop in the ocean but that child may be instrumental for a national reorientation and I pray that we live to see it happen.
Exactly 💯
Thank you for drawing our attention to the importance of this issue. We will continue to enlighten people and create more awareness about it.
It is quite unfortunate that when Nigerians travel abroad, they strictly obey traffic rules and regulations, yet here in our own country, many people ignore them and act carelessly with lives and property. This attitude needs to change.
May God continue to touch the hearts and minds of our people. I strongly believe that if road safety and civic responsibility are properly incorporated into the school curriculum, students will be enlightened from an early age. Over time, this early awareness will help instill discipline and a deeper understanding of the importance of protecting lives and property.
Cecilia Oguntimehin
Thank you for your engagement Cecilia. You have contributed with an educational tilt. There is indeed the need to reorient from the grassroots. We each can shine our lights in the classrooms and beyond – all for the purpose of growth and a better future.
Great insight sir…..
Thank you Bankole.
Well said, lessons learnt too. Really don’t know what those barriers were meant for until now.