The shock emergence of gridlock on the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway last week should worry every Nigerian who remembers the dark days when the nation’s busiest port corridor became a symbol of administrative failure. For more than two decades, the Apapa traffic nightmare inflicted untold hardship on residents, motorists, businesses and port users. Thousands of productive hours were wasted daily, goods were delayed, and trillions of naira were lost. The total reconstruction of the Expressway by Dangote Group, introduction of the electronic truck call-up system and other reforms brought welcome relief. That is why the sudden reappearance of long queues of trucks and tankers that stranded commuters for hours has triggered deep concern.
The latest crisis has exposed lingering weaknesses in the management of the nation’s maritime logistics chain. Stakeholders have offered different explanations for the chaos. Clearing agents point to poor implementation of the electronic call-up system, arguing that truck movements are no longer being coordinated with the discipline that initially made the scheme successful. Truck owners blame congestion inside the ports, claiming that delays in cargo handling and the evacuation of empty containers have forced vehicles to remain on the roads for longer periods. There are also reports of operational bottlenecks linked to shipping activities, which have slowed the turnaround time of vessels and cargo movement.
Beyond these explanations lies a more troubling factor. Whenever order begins to break down in the ports, allegations of favouritism, queue-jumping, unofficial payments and selective enforcement soon emerge. The success of any call-up system depends on transparency and fairness. Once operators begin to believe that some individuals can circumvent established procedures, compliance weakens and chaos follows. This is a lesson that must not be forgotten. Port stakeholders must partner the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to prevent the spillover of trucks and tankers from the ports and fuel tank farms onto the highways. Continuous monitoring of critical corridors, strict enforcement against indiscriminate parking, rapid removal of broken-down vehicles, and closer coordination with port authorities are essential.
LASTMA should also work with relevant agencies to ensure that only trucks with valid call-up clearance approach the port environment. The expressway must never again become a holding bay for thousands of heavy-duty vehicles. Equally important is the responsibility of the unions involved in port operations. The National Compliance Joint Task Force of Licensed Clearing Agents (NCJTFLCA), maritime truck owners’ associations, tanker drivers’ unions and other transport groups must rein in members who undermine established procedures. Corruption, favouritism and impunity have no place in a system that handles the economic lifeline of the nation. The warning signs are already visible. The painful era of Apapa gridlock was finally consigned to history. Allowing it to return would be an unforgivable setback that Lagos, and indeed Nigeria, can ill afford.
