Traffic Terror: Apapa Gridlock Returns, Syndicate Cashes In

 

The dreaded Apapa gridlock, which once crippled port activities and brought untold hardship to residents and businesses, has returned, raising fears of another prolonged traffic nightmare in Nigeria’s busiest port corridor.

Despite several government interventions to restore sanity, commuters, residents, and port workers are again battling heavy evening congestion as truckers and tankers flood major access roads to the ports.

Investigations by the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists (NNMJ) reveal that while Apapa roads remain relatively free during the day, gridlock begins to build up from evening hours. Long queues of trucks are observed from both the Costain and Mile 2 entry points, stretching through the Ijora-Olopa Bridge down to Apapa and from Coconut Bus Stop to the Tin Can Island gates.

According to findings, truck drivers allegedly pay between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000 to secure a place in the queue, a practice said to be coordinated by a powerful syndicate. Sources alleged that some officials of key government agencies—including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Police—are complicit in the illicit toll collection scheme.

The worst-hit areas include Wharf Road, Warehouse Road, Commercial Road, Burma Road, and Creek Road. By late afternoon, many vehicle owners are forced to abandon their cars and resort to motorcycles to escape the gridlock.

Former National Coordinator of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), Moses Fadipe, blamed the resurgence on the re-emergence of vested interests who profit from the disorder. He urged the Lagos State Government to act decisively before the situation spirals into a full-blown crisis.

Similarly, Martins Enebeli, President of both the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and the Nigerian Licensed Ship Chandlers Association (NILSCA), decried what he described as the government’s lack of sincerity in addressing the recurring problem. He advocated for urgent reforms in cargo evacuation and port decentralization.

“Bonded terminals should be relocated far from the ports and connected by rail. The government must stop concentrating port operations in the West while neglecting the Eastern and Delta ports,” Enebeli said.

A senior official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that a network involving both state and non-state actors is benefiting financially from the illegal toll collection, further worsening the gridlock.

Stakeholders have now called for an urgent federal government intervention to dismantle the alleged racketeering network and restore order to Apapa’s transport corridors, warning that failure to act could once again paralyze port operations and economic activities in the area.