Eleyele River crossing: Safety can’t be left to luck

Résumé détaillé

An opinion on the Eleyele River crossing in Ibadan, a vital N100 route for hundreds of commuters, and why its safety cannot be left to chance. Read More:…

At about 7:30 p.m., the boat was halfway across the Eleyele River when its engine died.

For a few seconds, there was only the sound of water against the plastic hull. Then the wind began to rise. Passengers shifted uneasily on the wooden planks. I looked towards the far bank—close enough to see, yet suddenly too far.

The operator did not panic. He reassured us and tried the engine again; it wouldn’t work, so we waited. Minutes later, another boat appeared and towed us to safety.

I had used the Eleyele water route for years. It was fast, cheap and familiar. That evening, however, I understood the question beneath every N100 ride: what happens when the river that carries hundreds of people to work, school and home turns hostile?

By 7:30 a.m., the queue at the Eleyele River crossing is already growing. Workers, traders, schoolchildren and other residents wait for their turn to board boats connecting Eleyele with communities around Apete and Awotan in Ibadan, Oyo State.

For many, the crossing is part of their daily routine. A journey that could cost considerably more by road takes only a few minutes by water, with passengers paying N100 only for a ride.

The service connects residents of Idunnu, Oba-Ido, Alakuta, Aderogba, Ogo Oluwa and Idi Mango, among other adjoining communities. Some use it to get to work, others to school, markets, churches and other destinations across the river.

Sodiq, a commercial motorcyclist familiar with the route, estimates that between 700 and 1,000 passenger journeys cross the river daily. The steady movement of boats and the queues of commuters waiting to board offer a glimpse of how much the surrounding communities depend on the service.

For 22-year-old Medina, who lives in Alakuta and works around Jericho, the river crossing is more than a convenient alternative. It helps her stretch her monthly income.

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