Gridlock Gone, Extortion Remains: Lagos Aide Speaks on Apapa Corridor

By Amina Ojelabi

The Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation and Logistics, Adekoya Hassan, has said that while the notorious Apapa traffic gridlock has largely been eliminated, extortion along the port access corridor remains a major challenge.
Hassan made this known during an interview on a television programme, where he assessed the impact of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council’s intervention on the Apapa port corridor.
According to him, the efforts of the Lagos State Government and relevant federal agencies have significantly improved traffic flow around the nation’s busiest port corridor.

“The Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, promised Lagosians that the Apapa gridlock would be addressed, and today I can tell you that the gridlock is no more. You can travel from Apapa to the international airport in less than 20 minutes and from Apapa to Victoria Island or Ikoyi within the same period,” he said.
He noted that the intervention spearheaded by PEBEC, with support from the Lagos State Government, helped dismantle several bottlenecks that had hindered the movement of cargo and commuters for years.
However, Hassan lamented that extortion by illegal operators along the corridor has continued despite repeated enforcement actions.

“After the dismantling exercise, we all saw that some of the activities started returning. The truth is that extortion on the corridor remains a difficult challenge. It is deeply rooted and cannot be solved by one individual or one agency alone,” he said.
The governor’s aide recalled that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had previously expressed concerns about the situation after visiting the corridor and engaging stakeholders.
He also commended the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and other stakeholders for their efforts in removing several notorious checkpoints and extortion points around Tin Can Island Port and Mile 2.
According to him, locations previously associated with illegal collections, including Tin Can First Gate, Tin Can Second Gate, Westminster and Sunrise, have witnessed significant improvements.

Hassan stressed that while government interventions have succeeded in restoring traffic flow and improving the ease of doing business within the port environment, addressing extortion would require sustained collaboration among security agencies, transport unions, port operators and government institutions.
He urged stakeholders to remain committed to ongoing reforms aimed at ensuring a more efficient and transparent port logistics system.
The Apapa port corridor has for years been plagued by traffic congestion, illegal checkpoints and extortion, leading to increased costs for businesses and delays in cargo evacuation.