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Employees in Lagos are stressed, burned out and exhausted because of 'hellish traffic'
Shakir Akorede, for CNN • Published 2nd August 2019
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Lagos traffic view
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) — Lagos traffic is so snarled and gridlocked that a recent trip from the airport to Ajah, on Lagos Island -- a journey shorter than 50 kilometers -- took me eight hours. That was two hours longer than my flight from Istanbul to Nigeria.

Welcome to traffic and travel Lagos-style, where the roads are clogged and millions of commuters are choked with frustration about the daily hassle in Nigeria's commercial capital and Africa's fifth largest economy.

Disgruntled commuter Yinka Ogunnubi is a typical example, recently tweeting: "Left my house by 5:30 a.m., got to work at 9:10 a.m. This is no longer work, it is suffer-head. Dear Boss, Can I work from home?"
Although many in Nigeria find the city alluring, especially for economic reasons, living in Lagos, the third most stressful city in the world, can take a mental toll.


The world's least stressful cities in 2017: A new study by UK-based company Zipjet has revealed the world's most and least stressful cities, according to factors including finance, transport, percentage of green spaces and citizens' wellbeing. Hamburg was the ninth least stressful city to live in, out of 150 cities included in the study.

The city is unhealthily crowded. Despite being the smallest state in the country, it has the highest urban population with an estimated population of 22 million people and counting, more than double New York or London's tally.

More than eight million people, moving in five million vehicles cram into a tiny network of just 9,100 roads every day. This is the reason why Lagosians spend an average of 30 hours in traffic each week -- or 1,560 annually -- while drivers in Los Angeles and Moscow traffic spent only 128 and 210 hours respectively in the whole of 2018.

Lagos is projected to become the world's biggest city by 2100, with a population of 88.3 million. It urgently needs better road facilities and a high-capacity transit system.

Mental health and productivity disasters
Traffic congestion, with its noise and environmental pollution, takes a huge toll on workers' mental and physical health.

Health professionals have even linked its overall damage to the increasing rate of suicide in the city.
According to consultant psychiatrist Olufemi Oluwatayo, it's not a surprise that Lagos commuters are negatively impacted by the traffic conditions.

Lagos traffic view
A general view of congested traffic in Lagos, Nigeria.
"It is not really hard to see why employees might feel stressed, burned out or exhausted, especially in a city like Lagos," Oluwatayo says.
"They leave home at 4 a.m., enduring hellish traffic and then [have] to deal with work pressure and the prevalent job insecurity, not to add individual family problems and responsibilities. It is no surprise that, in general, many more people seems to be suffering from anxiety and depression."

The situation is also killing workforce productivity.
"How productive can you be when you stay in traffic for over six hours on a daily basis, conjoined with the things you go through to have a normal life in this city?" media exec Agnes Marquis said in a report by local media publication Pulse, titled "Here's why you should think twice before taking a job in Lagos."

'Beyond the cubicle'
While working conditions across the globe are fast evolving, some Nigerian companies are reluctant to enable their employees to work from home.

However workers with the option to decide when, where and how they work perform better, according to a report in the Harvard Business Review.

Companies in Lagos who have enabled their teams to work from home say they rely on Internet tools such as Slack and ClickMeeting to foster communications remotely.

"We heavily leverage Slack for internal communication -- this makes it very easy for people to be in the loop of whatever is going on in the company regardless of where in the world they're working from," says Abdulrahman Jogbojogbo, who works for financial company Paystack.

Traffic jam stifles both state and national economies. The Lagos business community alone loses $30.5 million monthly. While the gridlock at Nigeria's largest seaport, Apapa, costs the country $19 billion annually -- a loss higher than the country's 2016 budget.

The state's new governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised to tackle the traffic issues and also decongest the Apapa port area, but some say his changes need to go deeper as the city creaks under the weight of its vast population.

"As much as the removal of trucks will decongest some roads, it's no one-size-fits-all. There is a clear need to moderate the flow of people as the population soars higher. Remote work offers that opportunity," Ogunnubi says.


https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/traffic-stress-lagos-nigeria/index.html


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INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE NIGERIAN JUST MADE MINISTER IN BRITAIN, KEMI ADEGOKE-BADENOCH (Photo shows young Kemi with daddy)

Nigeria will destroy you, make you useless and kill your dream unless you have a strong connection to the political godfathers.

I have met Kemi Adegoke-Badenoch in 2010 while she was distributing flyers of her election campaign to passersby around Dulwich Library in 2010. She was contesting for a member of the London Assembly. She didn't win and She was 30years old at the time.

In 2012, Kemi Adegoke stood for the Conservatives party in the London Assembly election where she was placed fifth on the London-wide list.

In 2017, Kemi was elected as MP for the Saffron Walden constituency and became the first woman to represent that constituency.

Former Prime Minister, Theresa May, appointed Kemi Adegoke-Badenoch as the Conservative Party's Vice-Chair for Candidates in January 2018.

Today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Olukemi Adegoke- Badenoch, aged 39, as Children and Families Minister.

Though Kemi was born in London but grew up in Nigeria where she finished her primary and secondary education and returned to the UK for her university education but why Kemi was able to win elections into London Assembly, House of Commons and became a Minister in a country she arrived at age 16?

The answers are simple. Kemi is living in a country where hard work is rewarded. A country where good university grades are rewarded with good jobs. A country where merits are sought after. A country where politicians are elected based on their debates, ideas and manifestos.

Would Kemi have become a councillor in Lagos or Ibadan by relying on her brillancy and articulation of ideas without employing the service of Agberos to snatch ballots or beat up voters, warm the beds of a few political godfathers and agreed to a percentage of her income as a political office holder be shared with her political godfathers every month?

-WRITTEN BY KAY D'GREAT

Hypocrite.

Would you have given her such opportunity if she were to be in Nigeria?

Nonsense.

They should zoom it in order to have good view of the face of the criminal.

That's one of many advantages of the CCTV. Very important.

tfash96:
in what sense? Definitely u can say the same to Texas, USA.. This so called flood can happen anywhere in the world we're surrounded by water bodies now in this planet..What will you now say about Japan & other foreign countries that do experience earthquake as their own natural disaster..If anything isn't done immediately like solution ehn ehn u can now start lambasting.. But Prevention Humans are just trying.. Man proposes God disposes or how do they say it or u want to tell me Americans wouldn't have tried anything to prevent flood but water has its own force

My brother, I reside in Lagos and hence, I know exactly what I am talking about.

Apart from the subject matter, there are a lot of other issues we battle with on a daily basis right here. You tend to wonder if this City is really worth the hype.

I repeat, Lagos is OVERRATED!!!

Pathetic.

Lagos is overrated.

madridguy:
They can bring the fight to Lagos, Nigeria.

We don't have a befitting venue to host a fight of such magnitude in Nigeria.

SageMK:
Dissapointed.

I was expecting to read something like, “I slipped on a banana peel, somersaulted 3times & landed on his ....”

Hahahahahahahha.

In another words, it was intentional.

The only way forward is divorce. They should go their separate ways.

Good. Ruga should be domiciled in the north.

No issue.

And again, the land mass in the north is fit for that purpose.

pesinfada:
I can help you quit

Am OK bro.

I only spoke about the reality on ground for an average Nigerian.

Hahahahahahahaha

One chance na Nigerians enter so.

You guys should enjoy the next level joor.

VickyES300:
Whatever that cost you your happiness, quit it cause it’s not worth it.

Always stay happy!

Not in Nigeria bro.

I put it to you that a lot of employees ain't happy with their job. The question is, How can you quit when you have bills and unusual responsibilities to battle with?

Well, I think its easy for a lady to quit, but not for a man. Its not easy being a real Man in naija o. There are a lot of negative forces hindering your upward mobility, and one of them is a negative work environment. It's quite common in Nigeria.

Racoon:
I thought this pathologic government have lied shamelessly that Nigeria has attained self sufficiency in rice production that we dont import the commodity again?.

Guess the Nigeria collapse of the Thailand Rice Pyramids lies have been reaffirmed? Ofada Rice is no where in our markets.Buhari govt remains a monumental fraud, disgrace and embarrassment.

My brother, lies seems to be the order of the day. As far as I am concerned, we will continue to be lied to because we are gullible.

It beats my imagination why people still refer to the President as Mr. Integrity.

Thisis2raw:
Nonsense.

And ingredients.

Exercise in futility.

They will still lose the match by over one goal margin.

Wallade:
Government operating misplaced priorities; buying bowls and spoons under pry school feeding program.

LOL!

My brother, we have still not gotten it right.

This is just another avenue to loot as expected.

The more you look, the less you see.

Centachos:
Next level.....

My ass.

Misplaced priority.

Dead on arrival.

Useless government.

Coswitmedia:
Live stream available at http://coswitmedia.com/afcon-01/

Thank you Sir.

And again, hope it's HD?

Please I need a good site to watch the Nigeria match in HD via phone.

Can someone please assist me asap. Thanks.

Please I need a good site to watch the match in HD via phone.

Can someone please assist me asap.

Ernerstdavid55:
Who is Abdullah

President Buhari's special Adviser on Sport and Youth Development.

Offpoint1:
Why not, your 3 months salary don cover up the rent

Its achievable. However, this is subject to the proximity between his crib and place of work.. And again, there are some other expenses that tends to show up unexpectedly along the line.

If he is a bachelor, it would be quite easy for him to cope.

He should just maintain a strict budget. Financial discipline is key.

Racoon:
Nothing like palliative repair work on this Mile 2-Coconut-Tin Can road.What the road need is total overhaul with constructing firm like Julius Berger handling the project.

Gbam.

Its a shame that we seems to be playing politics with this very important road.

How sad.

That's not an issue as far as CR is concerned.

This red card specialist is just too hostile.

lollmaolol:
impressive feet

Rightly so.

Ategberoson:
Yoruba silent achiever



no need of chanting Amaka. Yoruba lead, everyone follow


move with people wey sabi road, no by noise

Why the ethnic colouration?

Does it really matter?

The earlier you guys desist from this weird reasoning, the better for everyone here present.

Impressive.

This is the kind of inspiring and motivating news I want to see on nairaland on daily basis.

DadR:
@sellers, please let's always ensure that we disclose every necessary information about our products to a potential buyer. Concealment of the true status of your product is fraud!

@buyers, let's also ensure that we inspect any item(s) we want to purchase very well before making payment. Don't be in a haste to deal quickly. If your instinct is in doubt, please don't deal even if the item is being sold cheaply.

This moniker, wonderjewel, successfully sold this bad generator to me on Thursday, May 30, for 35k. I met with him at Iyana Ipaja axis on that fateful day.

Upon sighting the generator, the first thing I noticed was the traces of oil leakage under the generator. I immediately enquired from him if the generator has no oil leakage issues and he boldly stated that it has never leaked oil before. He even put his hand underneath to prove this, apparently, it's been well cleaned before he brought it to me, although I still saw traces.

I was actually in a hurry cos I sneaked out of the office to quickly make the purchase. I inspected other areas of the generator and discovered some minor issues but ignored them. I erroneously missed out the fact that the silencer has no hanger, it's dangling. My mind went back to the oil leakage issue again cos the generator I'm presently using has same issue and it won't make sense buying another generator with same problem. I again asked this gentle-looking guy more than two times and he still maintained that the generator has no oil leakage issue. Well, I believed him, took the risk and made payment.

In the evening of same day, my generator technician came around to inspect the generator (after purchase, lol) and do change the oil. He checked the generator and confirmed to me that the engine has had problem but was fixed. However, it was poorly done and I shouldn't have paid 35k for it. Poor me! He also told me to pay attention to the very loud noise of the engine. Sigh, I was like, I don buy this black market already. Sha change the oil make I dey manage am like that. He also mentioned the traces of oil and I was like the person I got it from said the oil doesn't leak.

At around past 11pm of same day when I wanted to go and put off the generator, I saw oil dripping from underneath the generator like when dem dey give person drip for hospital. I could easily spot the leakage cos I placed the generator on a used tyre. I was mad at myself that how could a sharp guy like me be a victim of this cheap jibiti?

Anyway, to cut my epistle short, I reached out to this bros on Friday to ask him why he had to conceal the true state of the generator all because he wanted it sold at all cost. But guess what? Bros was still maintaining that the generator no leak oil se! Shwo! I just weak. As a gentle man wey I be, I pleaded with him to refund 5k so that I can fix the oil leakage (just to give a try if the oil will stop leaking), and also sent him my account details. Bros no turn up. I called him like 4 times yesterday but he didn't pick my calls.

Bros wonderjewel, if I really want to make you come and carry your generator yourself and refund my 35k, I know what to do. But guess what? I'm a peaceful man and I try to follow peace with all men, and women too. .

I've moved on cos I've gotten someone who will pay 20k for this crap you call generator. But please, don't try this again with me (it can't even happen) or someone else. I may let go but others may not.

So potential buyers, please learn from this short story of mine.

Hakuna Matata

I feel for you bro. Bad deal.

Buyers will learn valuable lesson from this.

To be candid, lots of sellers here present ain't absolutely sincere. They ain't honest.

And again, you should have gone to ipaja with your generator technician to inspect/assess the gen before payment.

Anthony Joshua lost.

First, it's okay to lose.

Secondly, the title is not Joshua's birthright.

Credit to Andy Ruiz. Did he deserve to win? YES.

Joshua will come back stronger, Okay. That's nice to hear.

What about Andy Ruiz? �

Lesson: It is easy to get to the top, but a lot harder to stay there. Stay focused friends, stay sharp, keep learning, keep improving.

And if you fail, try to get up stronger. The only problem is there are no guarantees in this life. You have to earn it.

selemo:
Africa is more hostile...

There's no basis for comparison bro. Africa is way behind in the scheme of things.

If we are doing well as a continent (Africa), there won't be any point travelling to Europe or the US for academic purpose or for greener pasture.