Apapa in Lagos state is home to Nigeria’s largest private petroleum products facilities; otherwise called; tank farms. The tank farms and other similar facilities that are in other parts of the city of Lagos collectively account for about 90 per cent of the nation’s petroleum products needs. Apapa, the host city alone hosts more than 45 tank farms, with some still under construction.
Apapa in Lagos state is home to Nigeria’s largest private petroleum products facilities; otherwise called; tank farms. The tank farms and other similar facilities that are in other parts of the city of Lagos collectively account for about 90 per cent of the nation’s petroleum products needs. Apapa, the host city alone hosts more than 45 tank farms, with some still under construction.
The activities of these facilities have taken their toll on Lagos, and most especially on Apapa, turning it into a busy and bustling and choked- up city with heavy and excruciating vehicular and human traffic.
On a good day, there are scores of articulated trucks which on daily basis freight containers and assorted bulk cargoes to different parts of the country. Contributing their quota to the malaise are the petroleum tankers which also load products to different parts of the country.
Apapa is linked to the rest of the city by two roads; 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).
The beehive of activities that is synonymous with Apapa and by extension, Lagos, and the contributions of tank farms and trucks probably informed a 2009 decision to ban further location of tank farms in Lagos state.
Sadly, about three years after the then-minister of transport Alhaji Ibrahim Bio declared government’s ban on citing of more tank farms in Apapa, more than 100 per cent of the ‘only’ 22 that existed at that time have sprang up.
Going back ten years ago, and specifically, prior to when the ports were concessioned, Apapa was not what it is now, it was basically a maritime business district where ships come in and discharge their cargo, the area also had an array of offices ( and still has) that are used by other business concerns.
However, due to infrastructure decay in the petroleum sector, the vandalism of oil pipelines and the consequent scarcity of fuel, which in turn has turned the country into a petroleum product importing nation, the once-serene Apapa became a choice area for ‘domiciliation’ of petroleum tank farms.
Currently, there are more than 47 tank farms around Apapa area from; Trinity Bus-stop to Creek Road, Kirikiri phases 1 and 2 and Satellite town. This has led to constant terrible traffic situation along these routes as petroleum tankers come from all over the country to load petroleum products in Lagos. This development subsequently resulted into business owners lamenting the downward turn of business due to the man hours being wasted daily in the debilitating traffic.
With the increasing demand for tank farm space, several warehouses along the Apapa road stretch were demolished in order to pave way for construction of fuel depots which were done (probably) without conducting environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies and in outright disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the residents and business interests in the Apapa neighbourhood.
On a good day, each of the tanks are constructed to contain an average of 48million litres of petroleum product, a situation that have been described as a time bomb waiting to explode.
The recent fire outbreak on board a badge within the jetty belonging to MRS Oil and Gas is a pointer to the devastating effect of a fire outbreak at the Ibru and Ibafon jetties which house virtually all the tank farms in Lagos.
Experts have warned that a single tank full of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel) is enough to totally destroy the entire Apapa and neighbouring Ajegunle, with the danger of spreading to other parts of Lagos.
We believe that many of the tank farms are very poor records of safety measures and preparedness in the event of fire outbreak. A confirmation of this position is the recent explosion at the MRS petroleum tank farm.
The saving grace in the MRS saga is that the depot was receiving AGO (diesel) at the time of the explosion because if it were to be Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) that was being pumped from the badge that exploded, the whole of Apapa would have been totally wiped out.
The MRS accident is clearly a wake-up call to the federal government to yield the call of stakeholders for the relocation of these tank farms away from the Apapa business district and residential area.
Had it received the support of the federal government at the time, the directive of the Lagos State Government in 2009 that there should be no further construction of tank farms in Lagos could have kick- started a process that would have put an end to the menace, but this directive was clearly violated by the cabals in the petroleum sector.
hat new depots (Fatgbems, Swift, Index and Bovas) sprang up around Kirikiri residential area, while two others;(Gulf Treasure, T'Time) sprang up around Ibru axis and another one; (First Deepwater Petroleum) sprang up around Satelite town in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.
Since the incident happened, there have been renewed calls from operators and residents of Apapa, especially those staying at the Beachland Estate, Kirikiri town and Satelite town which have also been turned into a nest of tank farms.
To the government and the petroleum cabals, the relocation of the tank farms is seemingly impossible, but with all hands on deck, with determination and adequate planning, it is achievable.
We believe that the solution to the tank farms menace is that they should be relocated to either Badagry or Lekki axis of Lagos, which coincidentally are warming up to host Deep Sea ports soon. It is also not the solution to the hiccups in the petroleum products distribution in Nigeria, the ultimate solution is that the refineries must work so that we can stop importation.
We believe that oil and gas is not the only business in Apapa, there are lots of other businesses and in other to save these businesses from folding up, and to restore confidence in the residents of the area who are constantly living in trepidation, government should as a matter of urgency relocate the tank farms from Apapa and restore the port city to its original status as a maritime hub in Nigeria.
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