Civil Engineers Blame Otedola Bridge Calamities On Human Errors, Regulatory Failures

As commuters and motorists continue to encounter more horrific accidents and deaths on Otedola Bridge in Lagos State, the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE) has blamed the problem on human error, recklessness and regulatory failures on the part of the government.

The national chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), Engineer Tokunbo Ajanaku, who stated this at the 24th International Civil Engineering Conference and annual general meeting, said the bridge’s gradients were in order.

He said, “Lagos-Ibadan, Ibadan-bound the gradient is 3.6, Lagos-bound 3.9 across that stretch that you call Otedola Bridge. At the time that bridge was designed, the maximum allowable gradient was 4.5 per cent; that means that bridge was adequately designed in terms of gradients. But what you have today is not the problem with the structure but with the people.

‘’It is so easy to blame the structure, but you need to take a clear look at what the problems are. The problems are very simple. When you look at the Lagos-bound traffic. I can promise you that, without any risk of an incident, you will not have one recorded in Lagos.

“Where you have problems is the traffic outside Lagos. What does that tell you? It tells you that our trucks are overloaded. Because they are overloaded, they become easily out of control.

Today, 70 per cent of the accidents on that axis occur outside Lagos.

“Trucks that are so overloaded that the brakes don’t have the capacity to control the trucks anymore. Don’t forget that when the bridge was designed, there were operational weigh bridges; in the last 25 years, these weigh bridges have not functioned. This institution has written several times to the government to bring back the effective and sustained use of the weigh bridges.”

He said the theme of this year’s event is “Civil Engineering: Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure for Economic Growth “, saying this year’s conference and AGM is unique in the sense that it is deliberately intended to promote Engineering excellence, education and competence.’’

He said it upholds the standards of professional practice and provides a platform for sharing the latest technological advancements among Engineering professionals in Nigeria and beyond.

“This conference, the 24th in its series, has been firmly established as a credible forum for reflection on the state of the profession, thereby enhancing the mobility of Engineering professionals and ensuring a high standard of professional practice in Nigeria.’’

He declared the institution’s support for the federal government’s efforts to address the backlog of collapsed infrastructure across the country, saying the institution will continue to ensure that articulate short-, medium-, and long-term solutions are proposed to move the country forward.