Almost every part of Lagos have been converted into a marketplace. On roadsides, ontop of pedestrian bridges, inside Molues, in traffic, etc., everywhere is a market.

This unregulated commercialization of every spot in Lagos is what gives Lagos its rowdy outlook.

Indeed, this is what prompted the Lagos state government to establish several task forces with the objective of riding the state of trading at these unusual spots.

However, there is a location that besides being illegal, it also poses an enormous risk to the traders who ply their trades there. It is on railway tracks.



It common for railway tracks, especially in the Lagos area, to have convergences of traders selling all manner of goods. These locations are typically Mecca of some sort for those in search of “Okrika” clothes and other used and substandard wares to buy.

Every day, traders and their customers turn these locations to huge markets.

Some examples of railway track locations in Lagos with huge market activities are Oshodi, Mushin, Ikeja-Along, Yaba bus-stop, etc.

Tragically, this unusual and very risky trading practice has led to the death of some people, especially those who were not quick enough to depart the scene for an oncoming train.

In addition, train trips that has been scheduled to arrive at its destinations at a particular time are sometimes disrupted or delayed because it would be halted for longer than necessary for these traders to clear their wares from the track before it would continue its journey.

Sometimes, some people at these railway marketplaces have made fatal judgments forgetting that trains are not as controllable as cars that can be stopped at will.



Interestingly, during the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola, there was a ban on trading on railway tracks. This ban was vigorously enforced at the time. However, the enforcement of that ban appears to have been relaxed in the current administration.

It gets even more curious, when one discovered that certain task forces are deployed to some of these locations to collect revenues from the illegal traders at these railway track marketplaces.

Perhaps, this is the reason why this high-risk illegality persists on our railway tracks.













Source:

https://autojosh.com/why-is-trading-and-other-activities-allowed-on-railway-tracks-in-nigeria/

it's because Nigeria is a shit hole country.

Trains usually blow there horns miles away for the people to move from the track OR It takes forever for a train to pass through I guess.

Go to yaba, Tejuosho complex precisely, get to know the price of stores there, then come back and ask me the question again



Bottom line Nigeria is a failed state

Lagos is trying but our traders won't just listen...

What else do you expect from a government that is only sensitive on collection of tax and increase in land use charge but never bothered to utilise those fund for the creation of jobs and giving out soft loans to SMEs. You hardly find people trading at unwanted places during Fashola's regime. This present government concentrates more on creating bus stops, BRT tracks and motor parks without considering proper avenues for traders for people. When this government destroyed Oshodi market to create Motor park where else do you want traders to move to?

The question should be "Why do people hang on a moving train in Lagos?

The government, both federal and state, have been trying to stop them but the traders won't listen. And in the end govt will be accused of being 'anti-poor'.

k

Una no want make dem chop? If dem start to dey steal now una go still dey complain

This is not peculiar to Lagos nor to Nigeria alone

Why won't they turn it into a market place when they don't use the railways

This emanated from the fact that fashola the former governor has turned every shopping mall into Public Private Partnerships

(PPP) investment and the commoners were not able to get shops at a low and affordable rate and they must eat despite the fact

that majority of the traders and hawkers and okirika sellers are Igbos, cownu's servitudes.

The developers are doing what they know to do best


Tejuosho international market was a typical example in 2008 when Fashola demolished it to build an international standard market there which was later acquired by the rich ones.

More effort should be made by LASG to clear these people off the railway track. It's a dangerous place to trade goods and services.

because there is a lot of suffering in the country and this is what i call HUSTLE.

Even here in Oyigbo Rivers state.

Lagos na scam

You mean this railway track is functional?

They love the adrenaline rush of running away from death.

There are train stations in but you hardly see the railway track.

The tracks are carefully buried under layers of dirt.

Welcome to Aba.

Dias hunger in the land and Nigerians are not lazy but determined...any space found in public area laying fallow is converted to market

Shithole syndrome.

why do people even walk on the rail lines?

Even on the roof of a moving train, weed is being sold in the evenings.

It happens everywhere

Nigerians are their own problem. The clowns in power are not so different from the average Nigerian, they're just the ones that have been provided the platform to showcase the primitivity inherent in them.

Like leaders, like followers.

the railways are barely useful

psychologist:
Go to yaba, Tejuosho complex precisely, get to know the price of stores there, then come back and ask me the question again



Bottom line Nigeria is a failed state

i think say Nigeria na county before
Thanks for the correction.


State:Nigeria
County:Lagos

You live in a country with the highest number of poor people in the world and you are asking why they are allowed to trade there.

Are you going to provide shops for them? Won't they survive?

Survival is a basic human right. The most basic of rights.