In Lagos Nigeria, the bicycles are back

Across Lagos State, there is a growing interest in the use of bicycles by residents, as a form of recreation and a means of transport, discover CHUKS OLUIGBO, OBINNA EMELIKE and ANNE AGBAJE

It is Wednesday, July 18, 2001. Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, is in its usual busy mood. Residents are up and about their daily affairs without let or hindrance. At Aso Rock Villa, the nation’s seat of power, President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cabinet are getting set for the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. Ojo Maduekwe, the minister of transport, who has just launched a campaign for Nigerians to adopt the use of bicycle as a means of transportation, is yet to arrive at the venue. Fully decked in white flowing Agbada and red cap, he steps out of his Mabushi residence, shuns his official car, climbs his bicycle named ‘Champion’, and hits the road leading to Maitama and the Villa, heading for the FEC meeting. His intention is to popularise the use of bicycles. As transport minister, he feels strongly that he should lead by example; he should not just tell Nigerians to ride bicycle to work, he should show them how.

About 50 metres from the minister’s residence, however, at the Banex intersection, disaster strikes. Our dear minister, in full regalia, is knocked into a ditch by a reckless bus driver. Without a second thought, he abandons the bicycle, jumps into his official car which is trailing him, and off he goes. That unfortunate incident – together with an outburst of criticisms from many Nigerian – seals the fate of the bicycle-as-a-means-of-transport policy that many simply described as a silly idea.

Today, more than a decade later, there is a growing interest in cycling by Lagos residents. Without any transport minister nudging them, residents of Nigeria’s commercial capital, the highly-placed as well as the lowly, are, on their own, adopting the use of bicycles. While some residents, especially artisans, say they use it as a means of transport, especially for short distance journeys, particularly since the ban, in August 2012, on motorcycle operations in some parts of the state, others say they are embracing it for recreational purposes to improve their wellbeing, particularly in this era of health consciousness.

Ibiwari Abel, an independent courier agent who lives in Ajegunle, had been using bicycle to commute to work in Costain, Iganmu Lagos, every day in the last eight months. “I opted for bicycle because of the ban on motorcycle. I have seen a number of young people too on bicycle within the metropolis and I believe it is a trend now in Lagos,” he says.

Demola Ogunlusi, who earns a living delivering food to bank staff while on break, was almost run out of job when the ban on Okada hit him early this year. But he has since resorted to bicycle and is enjoying the ride without any disturbance from police, LATSMA, local government and all manner of law enforcement agencies. “I earn more now because I don’t buy fuel, engine oil, and servicing of my bicycle is almost at no cost.”

Dealers on bicycles also confirm that business is on the rise. “I sell an average of 10 bicycles in a week, sometimes less than that, but recently sales have really increased and per bicycle the rate differs, depending on how new and strong it is. Sometimes the price is also determined by the type of bicycles. For instance, we have Front Shock, Raleigh, Chevrolet, among others,” says Emmanuel Akachi, who sells bicycles of different types at Apapa, Lagos.

“I started by repairing bicycles, and then I started selling children’s bicycles, now I have added bigger bicycles for adults. It is not an all-new bicycle market but imported used bicycles, and so far sales have really been good since I started with high patronage in the used bicycles. Only a few customers ask for new ones,” he adds.

Indeed, in virtually every corner of the metropolis, assorted brands and designs of bicycles adorn supermarkets and even open spaces, where their dealers exhibit them to attract willing customers. The bicycles on display in many of these locations range from children’s to adult sizes. Many importers too have added the item among their list of imports. The prices of these bicycles, says a dealer, range from as low as N7,000 to as high as N20,000 depending on the brand and whether it is new or fairly used.

Of course, the many bicycles on the road mean good business for the dealers. Chikwe Agu, a motor spare parts importer, has added bicycle to his list of imports. Since March this year, Agu has cleared two 40-ft containers of bicycles.

“An operator of a major shopping mall once came to my warehouse to buy spare parts for their delivery trucks. On seeing about 30 pieces of bicycles rotting away, he checked and bought all. But I started importing when the demand from him became unbearable. It was later I discovered that bicycle is no longer bought for fun but for transportation, and at least 5 million out of 20 million people in Lagos are involved. It is good business,” Agu says.

Alongside the growing interest in the use of bicycles, bicycle repair shops have also sprung up in many parts of the state. And the patronage too has been very high. One of the repairers at the Ojo area of the state, who had up to 20 bicycles in his shop as at the time of visit, says on a good day, he repairs as many as 15 bicycles since most of them have very minor faults.

“If many shops now deal in bicycles, and if importers are increasingly adding bicycle to their import list, it tells you one thing: that there is a huge market,” says an economist who does not want his name in print.

Bicycles, according to studies, are the fastest-growing and predominant mode of access to express public transportation services in many Western communities and some parts of Asia. Naturally, bicycles are inexpensive, and they are good for keeping the body healthy. They are also environment-friendly as they liberate the owner from oil consumption and free the environment from the resulting pollution. With over 1 billion of them worldwide, twice as many as automobiles, the bicycle is the number one vehicle in the world and also the principal means of transportation in many developing countries.

In many parts of rural Nigeria, especially in the South-East, the bicycle is still a part of life, as it has been for many decades. People still ride to the farm, market and stream on bicycles, and almost every household has one.

Apart from transportation, bicycle is also a popular form of recreation and has been adapted for such uses as children’s toys, adult fitness, racing, postal and courier services. “It can be used as a vehicle to promote healthy lifestyle, recreation, and as a socio-cultural programme to speed up productivity,” says Emeka Ezeugo, former Super Eagles player.

But while it may be convenient to ride bicycles in the countryside where the roads are not too busy, there are inherent dangers in cycling on the busy, chaotic, almost mad, roads of Lagos without the provision of dedicated bicycle lanes.

Tunmise Kuku, a radio presenter, says because the roads are not clearly marked, it can be very dangerous for bicycle riders. “In addition, most vehicles on Nigerian roads do not meet the globally acceptable standards as they emit too much carbon monoxide. But then, real road education will also be needed, especially in the areas of wearing the appropriate gears and helmets. People must understand it has to be safe!”

For Obinwanne Okezue, a banker, bicycle transportation in Nigeria is a no-no. He says because the value system is skewed, the average Nigerian believes that the bicycle is for the down-trodden. As such, he adds, most people will rather spend all their savings getting a fourth-hand car than buying a bicycle.

More importantly, he says the infrastructure to encourage the use of bicycles as means of transportation is not in place. “Bicycles are designed for good and smooth roads, which make the effort of the rider reduced to the barest minimum. However, our roads are very bad and not ideal for cars, not to talk of bicycles. Have you ever wondered what a cyclist would look like when he’s caught up in one of those flooded areas in Lagos, for instance?” he asks. “Besides that, the construction of our roads did not make provision for bicycles.”

Afolabi Gambari agrees with Okezue, saying he does not feel the environment guarantees safety for bicycle riders. “They will need their own pathways on the roads because of their nature, as it obtains abroad. I wish we had started the culture from years back. But as it is now, bicycle riders ride at their own peril because there is lack of protection from the system,” he says.

It is perhaps in response to the growing interest in bicycle usage that the Lagos State government is pioneering a road infrastructure in which cycle lane will run concurrently with vehicular lanes, as obtainable in some developed economies of the world. The state is using the 1.8 kilometre Wempco Road in Ogba, Ikeja, which is to be dualised and upgraded, as a pilot project.

Contract for the project, which is to be delivered in 18 months, is said to have already been awarded to Arab Contractor. The project is being supervised by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), a World Bank-assisted agency of Lagos State government, which also pioneered the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme in the country. Incorporated into the road project which work began in August this year will be traffic and streetlights, road markings, road safety signs as well as bus stops, zebra crossings.

Funsho Oyelade, director of road and traffic management, LAMATA, says the government intends to use this as a pilot project and, upon its success, it may be replicated in other parts of the state. He adds that the cycle lane was designed to accommodate residents who may choose bicycles as against cars and motorcycles for short journeys within their neighbourhoods.