First-Timer Mistakes to Avoid in Lekki

Underestimating traffic on the Lekki-Epe Expressway

The single biggest mistake is treating a 12km distance like a 15-minute trip. From Lekki Phase 1 to Ajah at 5pm can take 90 minutes, and the Lekki toll gate backs up hard on weekday mornings heading to Victoria Island. Plan around it: leave Phase 1 for Ibeju-Lekki before 8am or after 11am, and don’t book a beach day at Eleko without accepting you’ll spend three hours in the car total.

The second-biggest? Assuming Google Maps ETAs. They’re often 40% optimistic during rain, which happens most afternoons from May to July. Ask your hotel concierge for a realistic time before every trip, and add a buffer. If a flight out of Murtala Muhammed is at 8pm, leave Lekki by 3pm.

Paying in dollars and skipping the ATM

Tourists often try to spend USD everywhere and get punished on the rate. Most restaurants, supermarkets and malls (Circle Mall, Novare Lekki) take naira only, and card terminals work fine for Visa and Mastercard. Change a couple of hundred dollars at a reputable bureau de change in Victoria Island or at your hotel front desk, not at the airport where rates are worst.

Also: bring small naira notes. Okada riders, keke drivers, roadside suya vendors and car park attendants rarely have change for a 1,000 naira note, and you’ll end up overpaying by default. Keep 200s and 500s in a separate pocket for tips and quick transactions.

Hailing okadas on the expressway

Okadas (motorcycle taxis) are banned on the Lekki-Epe Expressway and on most major roads in Lagos State since 2024. If you flag one and get stopped by LASTMA, the bike gets impounded and you’re stranded. Stick to Bolt or Uber for anything more than 500 metres, and use okadas only on interior streets in Chevron, Agungi or Ikota where they still legally operate for short hops.