On July 29, 1975, the coup that ousted the regime of General Yakubu Gowon was staged by military officers at the higher echelon of the Nigerian Army. It was announced by Colonel Joe Nanven Garba at about 6:00 a. m. Thus, the administration of General Yakubu Gowon came to a halt on the day, Brigadier (later General) Murtala Ramat Muhammed became the Head of States and Commander in Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces while Brigadier (later Lieutenant General) Olusegun Obasanjo was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, otherwise referred to as the deputy to the Head of States. The motive of the government of Murtala Muhammed was to put a stop to unnecessary but relevant things that the ousted administration was trying to propagate, hence, all hands were immediately on deck and different form of discipline put in place.
The administration maintained Lagos as the country’s capital. The question with road network across the country was paramount to the administration and Federal roads in Lagos being the capital were given priority. Between January and February 1976, the administration of General Murtala Muhammed inaugurated two committees; Committee for the creation of more states headed by Justice Ayo Irikefe and Committee for the movement of Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja which had Justice Akinola Aguda as the Chairman. First to come into effect was the creation of more states which changed the former twelve states to nineteen on February 3, 1976. Unfortunately, the era of General Murtala Muhammed was truncated through a coup de tat on February 13, 1976 (about the sixth month of the administration). The coup was announced by Colonel Bukar Sukar Dimka of the Nigerian army. But, the coup had no impact as it was aborted the same day and by the end of the day, General Olusegun Obasanjo took the mantle of leadership, hence the perpetuity of the same administration.
Little wonder why it is always referred to as Murtala/Obasanjo regime. By the policy on roads adopted by the administration of Murtala/Obasanjo; improvement began on the state of roads in Nigeria. Some Federal roads in Lagos especially; Ikorodu Road, Agege Motor Road and Oshodi/Apapa/Orile Roads up to Festival town’s entrances were rehabilitated and also reconstructed to the point of making them dual carriage ways.
The roads rehabilitation/reconstruction then was up to Badagry. Perhaps that was what informed the consideration of the construction of Lagos-Badagry to Sokoto Express Road which was later aborted. The road should have served the role of an alternative route to the one that begins in Lagos, through the west (Ibadan, Oyo and Ogbomoso) to the north. Although, in Lagos, there was still traffic jam, but the situation was under control as more bridges were built across Lagos metropolis during Murtala/Obasanjo regime to complement other efforts that had been in place. The regime of General Obasanjo ended on September 30, 1979, as the mantle of leadership of the country was handed over to the civilian administration of Alhaji Shehu Aliu Shagari.
The civilian administration under Alhaji Shagari as the President and Commander in Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces played its part in Lagos. How? This is because, Lagos being a cosmopolitan state, had both the government at the Federal level which was controlled by the defunct National Party of Nigeria and a different party controlling Lagos state, the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), which had Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande as governor, developing the state. Hence, both the Federal and Lagos state governments did a fantastic job on the roads in the state. Roads rehabilitation and construction in Lagos under the said civilian dispensation was tackled from the two ends.