Despite recent government efforts to clear the two major access roads leading to Lagos ports, hoodlums, roadside shanties, Okada riders, and other unregulated businesses have remained on the Mile 2 –Tin Can and the Ijora-Apapa Port access roads.
These defiant groups are significantly impeding efforts to maintain smooth transit on these critical routes, contributing to severe extortion and congestion that have resulted in over 40 deaths of truck drivers annually and billions of Naira in financial losses.
The Mile 2-Tin Can port corridor as well as Ijora-Apapa port access roads have long been a challenge for motorists and a disruption to port operations. Over the years, several attempts by authorities, including the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to address the congestion have had little or no lasting impact.
Stakeholders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily, last week called for a sustained and consistent enforcement by the government to address the persistent obstructions that continue to plague this crucial ports’ access routes.
Recall that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in May, 2024 announced the successful resolution of the decade-long gridlock on the Mile 2-Tin Can-Apapa corridor, which serves the Tin Can and Apapa ports.
Shipping Position Daily had recently reported that the Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) as well as others road haulage stakeholders raised alarm that the unchecked activities of hoodlums in the Apapa-Ijora and Tin Can-Mile 2 areas of the port’ access roads in Lagos resulted in the loss of over 40 lives annually and billions of Naira in revenue.
However, our correspondent who took a tour along the Mile 2 – Tin can port access road observed that despite the recent efforts to clear the port access roads of obstruction, the illegal shanties or road side petty traders, petroleum “black” marketers and some extortion and illegal checkpoints along the port access road have resurfaced.
Specifically, despite the barricade placed around the port access road particularly at Tin Can Port gates and Liverpool, petty food vendors and alcoholic vendors cluster around the port gates and access road. The heavy presence of commercial motorcycle riders popularly known as ‘Okada’ had taken over the Mile 2 Bridge in their large numbers, causing traffic gridlock for motorists accessing the Tin Can port.
It was observed that the access road which was relatively free has gradually begun to get congested as queues of tanker vehicles begin to resurface along the road sides due to fuel scarcity. In addition, residents of adjoining areas now use the expensive road as a dumpsite for heaps of waste, which are left on the roadsides unattended.
In the same vein, our correspondent visited the Apapa-Ijora axis of the port access road last week, and observed that despite recent efforts to clear illegal shanties and remove touts from the access roads, the Ijora axis still face significant challenges with persistent activities of miscreants.
Specifically, under the Ijora bridge was crowded with petty food and alcoholic drinks’ vendors, Point-Of-Sales (POS) operators as well as other small business and service providers. Hoodlums were sighted demanding money from truck drivers around the Lilypond export terminal area as the area remains a hotspot for container burglary and other illicit activities.
The General Secretary of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Bala Muhammed said that the lack of continuous enforcement has led to a resurgence of illegal activities, with reports of increased container thefts along the Ijora axis.
“When there is no sustainable road clearance operation, the shanty operators are bound to return and continue their business as usual. We have received reports of container robbery, which points to the fact that these criminals are back and actively engaging in their criminal activities. The loss and other damages due to these container burglars highlight the urgent need for effective and ongoing intervention ” Muhammed noted.
In a chat with the Western Zone Secretary of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Stanley Ezenga, he highlighted the inefficiency of sporadic NPA clearing operations, noting that those causing obstructions are often alerted before NPA arrives, leading to only temporary improvements. He emphasized that these actions should be ongoing to ensure lasting results, especially considering the economic hardships faced by many who rely on roadside trading for their livelihood.
Ezenga noted that the persistent issues at Mile 2, particularly the activities of Okada riders and roadside vendors, significantly narrow the road and create bottlenecks. According to him, even with free movement from Coconut through Sunrise and Berger, the road often becomes blocked at Mile 2 due to these activities.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts in road repairs, the NAGAFF Chieftain stressed the need for regular and intensified interventions to ensure that the roads, which have cost billions of naira to repair, are used efficiently.
While expressing his appreciation for the road clearance, the Tin Can Chapter Public Relations Officer of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (APFFLON), Mr Clinton Okoro highlighted the need for a more organized and sustained approach.
Okoro lampooned the presence and activities of roadside shanties, acknowledging the economic challenges that forced many to trade on the streets. To address these persistent issues, He called for the government to implement necessary infrastructure improvements.
The APFFLON spokesman stressed that the solution lies in ensuring the functionality of the country’s refineries. He suggested that funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidies should be redirected towards revamping these refineries.
On his part, Mr Stephen Ibeh, a clearing agent and President of The Patriots Anti-corruption Initiative (T-PACI) stated that the successful removal of trucks from the road shows the government’s potential to effect significant changes. He emphasized that persistent issues, such as roadside shanties, could also be resolved if the government is genuinely committed to addressing them.
Ibeh noted that the recent operations have primarily focused on clearing the trucks, which has been a positive development. He called for sustained efforts and appropriate measures to ensure the long-term usability of the port access roads.
