“Only The Roof Was Visible” — Lagos–Ore–Benin Flood Video Sparks Questions Over FG’s Lagos–Calabar, Badagry–Sokoto Projects

A viral video showing a vehicle almost completely submerged in muddy floodwater on a road said to be the Lagos–Ore–Benin federal highway has triggered fresh criticism of the Federal Government’s infrastructure priorities, with calls for urgent rehabilitation of existing highways before committing resources to new mega road projects.

The footage, which circulated widely on social media, shows several men wading through deep floodwater around a largely submerged vehicle while attempting to assist its occupants and retrieve some of their belongings.

Only the upper section of the vehicle is visible above the water at some points in the video, underscoring the depth of the flooding.

Other vehicles and motorcycles can also be seen around the affected area, while heaps of sand and construction materials line portions of the roadside.

The exact location and circumstances of the incident could not be independently confirmed from the footage alone, although the video was circulated as having been recorded along the Lagos–Ore–Benin highway.

A distressed voice heard in the footage complained about the severity of the situation and the resulting traffic congestion, claiming that the gridlock had extended for a considerable distance.

The speaker further alleged that some vehicles had remained trapped along the route for as long as three days with little or no movement.

Those claims could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.

Sharing the footage, an X user identified as @Ekwulu questioned the Federal Government’s infrastructure priorities, arguing that existing federal highways should receive urgent attention before massive new projects are prioritised.

The poster specifically referenced the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry–Sokoto Superhighway, contending that government should first address deteriorating roads already being used daily by motorists.

He described several existing federal roads as “death traps” and questioned the justification for committing enormous resources to new highways while critical routes remain in poor condition.

The footage also generated reactions from other social media users, some of whom described major new infrastructure schemes as “white elephant” projects and argued that funds could instead be directed towards repairing and maintaining existing highways.

Those descriptions represent the views of the commentators and not an established assessment of the projects.

The incident has again drawn attention to persistent flooding, drainage deficiencies and road deterioration along major transport corridors across Nigeria, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.

The Lagos–Ore–Benin corridor is a major interstate route linking Lagos and parts of the South-West with Edo State and other parts of southern Nigeria, making prolonged obstruction along the highway capable of disrupting passenger travel, commercial transportation and the movement of goods.

The viral footage has consequently renewed debate over whether the government should place greater emphasis on maintaining and rehabilitating existing federal roads alongside the construction of new infrastructure.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement confirming the precise location shown in the video, the number of vehicles affected, whether anyone sustained injuries, or the claim that motorists had remained stranded for up to three days.