A few years ago, when drastic positive changes were taking place in Lagos, I was stuck in traffic one day, and the dream below was the output.
Do you think it is possible?
New Dawn
“Wow! I woke up late again.
I’m most certainly going to get a query today!”
I’ve been going late to work since Monday, three days now.
And it’s not really my fault.
All the situational alarm systems that have been waking me for the past 7 years that I’ve been in Lagos have expired one after the other.
Living on Davies Street, Ketu was considered an excess by many of my friends. None of them visiting could sleep till very late in the night and they were sure to be awakened by 4:30 the next morning by the noise of commercial bus conductors advertising their services.
If you could sleep through this preliminary series, you still had the noise of traffic from private cars from 6 am. Occasionally, depending on how tired I was, I’ve found myself sleeping through this too! But with the rising sun and the noise of school children arguing themselves away on the way to school, I still had the chance of waking up by 7:30 am.
Once or twice I missed this too! I was awakened on these “special occasions” by the sound of bells, drums and singing from the nearby primary school. But 2 years ago, with the introduction of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), the conventional bus conductors were partially muted when their patronage drastically reduced.
Most of the drivers and conductors who couldn’t get jobs with the BRT resolved to off-peak transport services which was ok for them. In time, some of them converted their buses to school buses in partnership with schools after the state government prohibited pupils from walking along the road in school uniform. There was no longer need to advertise for passengers. They passengers would be at designated locations waiting for them. This eliminated my 7:30 am alarm.
Since then, I conditioned my body clock to alert me at the 1st available noise which inadvertently was the noise of private car traffic. Only last week Monday, the long-awaited, supposedly white-elephant project, Ikeja Light Rail System started commercial operations and people were encouraged to leave their cars at home. Many were skeptical at first, but it was like angels at work – so efficient!
Since Monday only police patrol vehicles and a few others have had the roads to themselves.
Hawkers have been offered jobs at the various outfits in the Ikorodu Industrial Estate and Ade Adeniyi inadvertently wakes up late!
Doctors say life expectancy has gone up, hospital patronage and hence bills have gone down. Also, employers say productivity has generally gone up. The state government has mandated all schools to build halls for their populations and hence the former noise of singing and drumming has turned to pleasant melodies from a distance!
What do you think about the new dawn impending in Lagos?
Is a New Nigeria possible?
(2007)

It is very possible if all wake up to our responsibilities. We should not just leave the work to the government. Let’s embark on community development and ONE DAY,we will wake up to a better Nigeria
Yes, a new Nigeria is a possibility and we all will live to see it.If lagos is a shadow or say a seed of the harvest-A new Nigeria;then it’s just a matter of time.Let’s play our part.
With God, all things are possible, so I believe there can be a new era in Nigeria. However, we need to pray as a nation and pray/sing, “Thy Kingdom come, o Lord”.
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Yea, it is only a matter of time, i believe a NEW NIGERIA ia a possibility! God will take us there surely! Nicely written bro!
It is ooh soo possible, but we all must be ready to play our part and be responsible in our little corners. It may take time, yea time but it is possbile if we work towards it.