Lagos State Government Announces Traffic Diversions For ECOWAS 50th Anniversary Celebrations.
The Lagos State Government has issued a traffic advisory, announcing diversions on major roads in Victoria Island to accommodate the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 50th anniversary celebrations, scheduled from 27 to 29 May 2025. The milestone event, marking five decades of regional cooperation, is expected to draw heads of state, diplomats, and key stakeholders to Lagos, the birthplace of ECOWAS in 1975.
In a statement released on Monday, Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, outlined the diversion plan to ensure smooth traffic flow and bolster security around key venues, including the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and Eko Hotels and Suites. President Bola Tinubu, the current ECOWAS Chairman, is set to deliver a keynote address at Eko Hotels, highlighting the bloc’s economic achievements, while former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Retd), the only surviving signatory of the 1975 ECOWAS Treaty, will also speak at the event.
To minimise disruptions, the government has advised motorists travelling from the Eko Hotel roundabout towards Lagos Island or the mainland to use Adetokunbo Ademola Road, proceed to the Civic Centre, and connect to Ozumba Mbadiwe Road. From there, drivers should continue to Bonny Camp roundabout and turn right to reach their destination. Alternatively, access to Lagos Island or the mainland is available via the Falomo Ramp near the Nigerian Law School. Motorists approaching Kofo Abayomi from Bonny Camp are directed to turn right at Kilimanjaro Junction to access Lagos Continental Hotel. Those travelling from Independence or McEwen Bridge to Eko Hotel should turn left at the IMB Building on Ahmadu Bello Way by Atlantic City, then connect to Akin Adesola Road and proceed through inner streets.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will deploy officers along the affected routes to guide motorists and reduce inconvenience during the summit. “The advisory aims to facilitate seamless vehicular movement and enhance security around the event venues,” Ogunlola stated, urging commuters to cooperate with traffic officials and plan their journeys accordingly.
The ECOWAS Golden Jubilee, which kicked off in Accra last month, will feature a reenactment of the 1975 treaty signing at the NIIA, where the regional bloc was established. The celebrations will include panel discussions and a youth forum, with Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Chairman of the NIIA and former Minister of External Affairs, reviewing the organisation’s 50-year journey. The event underscores Lagos’s historical significance as the city where the ECOWAS Treaty was signed, fostering economic integration, peace, and development across West Africa.
In addition to the summit, President Tinubu will commission several infrastructure projects on 31 May, including Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Concrete Road, further highlighting Lagos’s role as a hub of regional and national progress.
The Lagos State Government has called for patience and understanding from residents and visitors, assuring them that the measures are temporary and aimed at ensuring a successful and secure celebration of ECOWAS’s legacy.
