Stakeholders operating around the Lekki Deep Seaport corridor have raised concerns that worsening traffic congestion is beginning to disrupt port operations, with some blaming inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations by the Lagos State Government.
In a statement, the stakeholders said persistent gridlock along the corridor was restricting the movement of trucks and other vehicles serving the port, raising concerns about the potential impact on cargo evacuation and overall port efficiency.
They noted that an electronic call-up system was already in place to regulate the movement of trucks to and from the port. However, they argued that the system had been undermined by inadequate enforcement of the requirement for truckers to use designated truck parks before receiving clearance to access the port.
The stakeholders said the situation was also affecting investors who had put money into truck park facilities along the corridor.
“Already, investors in truck park facilities are beginning to count their losses as the poor patronage of the parks erodes confidence in the investment environment, despite assurances from the Lagos State Government,” the statement said.
The Managing Director of Lekki World and a major stakeholder in the area, Adeola Olusodo, acknowledged that efforts were under way to improve traffic flow.
He, however, said traffic regulation along the corridor was the responsibility of the Lagos State Government and its traffic management agency.
“We do not regulate traffic. The Lagos State Government, through its agency, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, is responsible for ensuring that truck movements are properly regulated along the port corridor,” Olusodo said.
A trucker with Jancy Truck Park, Cyril Jonah, said the accredited parks were struggling to attract patronage because many drivers obtained their electronic call-up tickets before arriving at the port area.
The Managing Director of Admoore Park, Shile Oloto, said the company had invested funds secured through bank loans in its facility over the past three years but had yet to achieve a corresponding return on investment.
Oloto attributed the poor performance of the facility to what he described as ineffective enforcement of traffic regulations, which he said had contributed to the underuse of accredited truck parks along the corridor.
NPA calls for better coordination
The Port Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Lekki Port, Emmanuel Anda, linked some of the enforcement challenges to the NPA’s lack of involvement in the development of the truck call-up system.
Anda said there had been occasions when tankers and container trucks occupied both sides of the road, effectively blocking the corridor because of enforcement failures.
He warned that the uncontrolled movement of heavy-duty vehicles had contributed to fatal road accidents and could result in further loss of lives if the situation persisted.
According to him, the volume of commercial activity within the Lekki Free Trade Zone makes an effective traffic management system essential to maintaining uninterrupted movement along the corridor.
Lagos promises stronger enforcement
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, acknowledged the congestion along the Lekki Port corridor but said the problem was temporary.
Osiyemi attributed some episodes of congestion to rumours of imminent increases in petroleum product prices, saying such reports often prompted truck drivers to rush to the port to evacuate products before a possible price increase.
He said the state government remained committed to enforcing traffic regulations while ensuring that its actions did not unnecessarily disrupt commercial activities.
“We cannot enforce regulations by force, so as not to trigger any form of protest. We understand that sometimes there is a rush to the port to load products due to rumours of a price hike, and in such cases, we deploy trucks to designated parks to ease vehicular movement along the corridor,” Osiyemi said.
The statement added that personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps were patrolling the coastal road linking the port and refinery in an effort to keep traffic moving.
The concerns came shortly after the Lagos State Government announced plans to strengthen enforcement along the Apapa and Lekki port corridors following feedback from stakeholders and an assessment of traffic conditions in both areas.
At a strategy meeting at the Ministry of Transportation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said shortcomings had been identified in the existing enforcement arrangements and that the strategy would be reviewed.
Giwa said additional traffic management personnel would be deployed to the Lekki Port corridor to improve compliance with the E-Call-Up system and facilitate the movement of articulated trucks to and from the ports.
