By Ajibola Adedoye
After months of relative calm, Apapa’s notorious gridlock is making a troubling comeback — and this time, insiders say, it’s being driven not just by traffic but by corruption.
Investigations by the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists (NNMJ) indicate that the long queues of trucks and tankers choking access to Lagos ports are part of an organized scheme involving illegal toll collections allegedly facilitated by officials of key transport and port agencies.
Although Apapa roads appear clear during the day, the chaos unfolds by evening. From Costain to Mile 2, and along key port corridors such as Wharf Road, Warehouse Road, Burma Road, and Creek Road, convoys of trucks line up for miles, each reportedly paying between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000 to secure passage.
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Sources allege that some operatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), LASTMA, FRSC, and the Nigeria Police are complicit, profiting from the resurgence of the bottleneck that once crippled economic activities in the area.
By late afternoon, movement becomes nearly impossible, forcing workers to abandon their cars and resort to motorcycles just to exit the gridlocked zones.
Moses Fadipe, former National Coordinator of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), attributed the crisis to the return of vested interests who previously thrived on disorder. “The Lagos State Government knows the solutions,” he said, warning that failure to act could lead to a complete breakdown of port logistics once again.
Martins Enibeli, President of both the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and the Nigerian Licensed Ship Chandlers Association (NILSCA), criticized the government’s lack of commitment to lasting reforms. He urged renewed investment in rail cargo evacuation, the revival of Eastern and Delta ports, and the relocation of bonded terminals away from Apapa to reduce pressure on Lagos ports.
An anonymous senior source confirmed that a “well-organized syndicate” of state and non-state actors is behind the collection of illicit tolls, sustaining the chaos for profit.
Stakeholders are now demanding urgent federal intervention to dismantle the alleged racketeering network and restore order to Nigeria’s most critical maritime gateway.
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