Vehicular movement around Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Lagos Island will be restricted on Monday, April 6, 2026, ahead of the Lagos Fanti Carnival. The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, announced the traffic diversions in a press release issued on Sunday. Major roads leading to TBS, including King George V Road by Mobil Filling Station, Flag House inbound TBS, Force Road inbound TBS, Onikan Roundabout, and WaterBoy Roundabout by Old Defence House, will be affected.
Link roads to Moloney Road such as Military Road by Old Defence Building, Ajasa Street, Boyle Street, and Hawley Street will also be closed during the event. To manage parking, designated car parks have been provided at the Yoruba Lawn Tennis Club, Zone 2 Car Park opposite Island Club, Museum Kitchen Car Park, and The Bell Car Park by Island Maternity. Motorists are urged to cooperate with personnel from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) stationed at diversion points. The state government has requested public understanding and compliance during the carnival procession.
Closing major routes for a carnival while offering tennis clubs and maternities as parking spots exposes how little Lagos prioritises commuters' time. Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi's directive assumes residents can easily reroute or afford alternative transport, which most cannot. For the millions navigating Lagos daily, this is routine disruption masked as celebration. It changes nothing about the city's chronic traffic mismanagement.
