Apapa Tank Farm, Tanker Drivers And The Rest Of Us

The recent killing of citizen Lekan; the ‘drivers mate’ who was allegedly shot by a naval personnel has brought attention once again to the issue of tank farms and petroleum products- laden tankers on the Apapa end of the very strategic Apapa/Oshodi expressway, Lagos.
The motor boy was allegedly killed by a naval rating who was one of the personnel of the navy drafted to maintain peace and control traffic at the various tank farms and the ensure free flow of traffic in and out of the loading facilities.
But the tankers didn’t get to Apapa overnight and on their own volition. So also the tank farms didn’t get to Apapa overnight and on the own volition. All the micro-stakeholders at the sprawling farms got relevant official permission to operate there.
Apapa is a very strategic to the nation’s economy. The port city of Apapa is home to Nigeria’s two foremost ports which are currently being managed by nine terminal operators. Between the two ports called; Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port, more than 65 percent of dry cargoes and about 90 per cent of the nation’s liquid (petroleum products) are handled. This is because it hosts about 23 tank farms (and still counting). These are in addition to the many shipping companies/agencies, licensed customs offices and numerous other businesses that are located in this port city. On a normal day, Apapa is a busy city, with heavy vehicular and human traffic; this is in addition to other human endeavours that take place there. The port city of Apapa equally plays host to countless number of banks and several port- related activities.
The port city is sandwiched in between highbrow residential areas like Apapa GRA, Beachland estate, and low income residential areas such as Ajegunle and Ijora, it also shares boundaries with a couple of riverside settlements.
Apapa is linked to the rest of the city by two major highways; the Apapa – Oshodi expressway and Apapa-Ijora road. Of course, it can also be approached by water from Mile Two (on the mainland) and Marina axis (on the Island). Apapa also services as a good link for motorists going to Lagos Island and beyond, serving hundreds of such from many local governments.
There are also scores of articulated trucks which on daily basis freight containers and millions of tonnes of bulk cargoes to different parts of the country.
As for the tank farms, which have become unwelcome co-stakeholders in the port city, they receive several tankers which also load petroleum products daily from different depots to different parts of the country. These trucks also come into Lagos empty, but they leave fully loaded with products, thus contributing their quota to the poor state of the roads and the already debilitating vehicular traffic in and around Apapa and indeed the metropolis.
Apapa expressway is too strategic to the nation’s economy, because, it also links the port city to the popular Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
It’s certain that whatever circumstances that brought the tank farms and the associated business including tankers are no longer tenable.

We recall that recently, the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) also joined the long list of those who have called for the relocation of tank farms away from Apapa.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting in Lagos recently, the Chairman of the association, Princess Vicky Hastrup was quoted as saying that the activities of the tank farms have largely affected the inflow and out flow of cargoes from the nations' port.

She warned about the danger that the continuous operation of the tank farms pose to port system,

"The owners of these tank farms are very powerful in Nigeria, but we don't want congestion around the port environment, it makes it difficult for customers bringing in their trucks to load"

"It is only in Nigeria that you have tank farms located within the port environment, this is very dangerous and those tank farms should be relocated", she had stressed.

Her group’s fears are not far from the truth. If there were no such facilities at Apapa, there would have been no tanker trucks, there would have been no such heavy traffic as is noticeable on daily basis, there would have been no need for naval personnel and of course, the drivers mate that was killed would probably still be alive today.
Unfortunately, the tank farms can not be relocated in a jiffy! The investments run to billion of Naira, the infrastructures are massive.
A total review of the Nigerian petroleum industry laws may just be what is needed to address the failure of the nation’s oil and gas sector. The solution of production and supply of petroleum products may lie in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.