By Alex Akao 

Barely after two years reprieve, the notorious traffic gridlock that once crippled Apapa and its environs is gradually resurfacing.

The fresh surge, which threatens to paralyse movement and port operations, is tra table to truckers who have alleged syndicate exploitation of the traffic control officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

It was gathered that despite previous interventions, residents, commuters, and port workers are now facing renewed evening congestion as the truckers and tanker operators occupy the port access roads indiscriminately.

Investigations by the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists reveal that while Apapa roads remain relatively free during the day, a long trail of trucks begins to manifest by evening from both the Costain and Mile 2 entry points.

From the Ijora-Olopa Bridge to Apapa and from Coconut Bus Stop to Tin Can Island’s gates, the story is the same as trucks and tankers line up in droves, allegedly paying between N30,000 and N50,000 to secure a spot in the queue.

Sources alleged that some officials of key agencies—including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Police—are complicit in the illegal toll collection, turning a blind eye as the situation daily worsened.

The most affected areas include Wharf Road, Warehouse Road, Commercial Road, Burma Road, and Creek Road.

The situation assumes a critical dimension during rushing hours at the close of work, with some vehicle owners abandoning their cars and resort to motorcycles in a bid to escape the gridlock.

When contacted, the former National Coordinator of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), Moses Fadipe, attributed the resurgence to the return of vested interests who previously profited from the chaos.

 He lamented that the Lagos State Government knows what steps to take to prevent a full-blown crisis, with severeeconomicconsequences.

Also weighing in on the situation, Martins Enibeli, President of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and the Nigerian Licensed Ship Chandlers Association (NILSCA), blamed government insincerity for the relapse.

Enebeli, however, urged authorities to prioritise rail transport for cargo evacuation from Lagos ports and to revive Eastern and Delta ports in order to ease pressure on Apapa.

“Bonded terminals should be relocated far from the ports and connected by rail. The government must stop concentrating port operations in the West while neglecting other regions,” Enebeli stated.

A senior official of the Ports Authority who pleaded anonymity confirmed that a syndicate involving both state and non-state actors is allegedly profiting from the tolls collected from truckers, thereby exacerbating the traffic crisis.