NPA launches multi-agency task force to tackle resurgent Apapa traffic gridlock, moves against illegal checkpoints, extortion rings
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has launched a multi-agency task force to confront the resurgence of traffic gridlock on the Lagos ports access roads, in a fresh push to restore seamless cargo evacuation and sustain recent gains in port efficiency.
The action followed a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on June 23rd, 2026, where security agencies, freight forwarders, truck operators and representatives of the Lagos State Government agreed on coordinated measures to eliminate the bottlenecks disrupting cargo movement.
At the meeting, stakeholders identified illegal extortion points, overlapping responsibilities among security agencies and other operational distortions as major factors responsible for the renewed congestion along the port corridor.
NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemakara, speaking on the outcome of the meeting, said NPA’s overriding priority is to guarantee the unhindered movement of cargo to and from the nation’s seaports.
According to him, the task force comprises the NPA, the Police, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO).
“The responsibility of the task force is to monitor truck movement on the port access roads on a regular basis, identify any disruption capable of causing gridlock and immediately resolve such challenges,” Onyemakara said.
He stressed that members of the task force would not establish checkpoints along the corridor but would maintain strategic presence at designated locations to ensure compliance without obstructing traffic.
To enhance rapid response, Onyemakara disclosed that the task force has created a dedicated WhatsApp platform through which members can instantly report infractions or emerging traffic issues for immediate intervention.
On the long-delayed renewal of the Electronic Truck Call-Up (ETO) system contract, the NPA spokesman said the Authority is reviewing the terms to ensure a more robust contractual framework before awarding a fresh agreement.
He explained that although the previous contract had expired, the ETO platform remains operational under the management of the Truck Transit Parks (TTP) pending completion of the procurement process. He expressed confidence that the renewal would be concluded soon.
He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to maintaining free-flowing port access roads, saying that efficient logistics remain central to the NPA’s drive to improve Nigeria’s port competitiveness and preserve its growing international reputation.
“We are more interested in the free flow of logistics into our ports than anyone else because it is in our own interest,” he said.
“If you look at the international recognition we are receiving, including the World Bank report, we are determined to sustain and even surpass the improvements already recorded in our port system.”
In another development, the Ports Authority has also launched a coordinated offensive against the web of illegal checkpoints, extortion points and inter-agency clashes that have for years strangled cargo evacuation along the Apapa and Tin Can port corridors.
In a strong push to dismantle the human-made bottlenecks crippling port logistics, the Authority said it has secured commitments from security agencies, freight forwarders, truck owners and transport regulators to flush out illegal operators and restore sanity to the port access roads.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting recently in Lagos, NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said the agency had identified extortion points, operational distortions and jurisdictional overlaps among security agencies as key factors frustrating seamless cargo movement from the nation’s busiest ports.
According to him, the problems are not limited to the immediate port gates, but extend deep into the wider logistics corridor, including Berger and Mile 2, where traffic disruptions, harassment of truckers and illegal enforcement activities have continued to undermine port efficiency.
“We have problems along the port corridor in Apapa and Tin Can Island. Now, we have established that there are issues around extortion along the corridor. That is outside the port,” Dantsoho said.
He also pointed to jurisdictional rivalry among security agencies as a major source of confusion and abuse on the corridor.
“The second issue is overlap- jurisdictional overlap. In our system, what is established is that there is a police command for the port system, Maritime Police, and then there is also the Lagos State Police Command. So, in some instances, there are clashes, overlaps,” he stated.
Dantsoho, however, said the meeting produced far-reaching resolutions aimed at ending the chaos and improving coordination among all actors operating within the port corridor ecosystem.
He disclosed that both the Maritime Police and the Lagos State Police Command distanced themselves from the illegal checkpoints and roadblocks mounted along the corridor, denying ever authorizing such deployments.
“We have achieved a great lot of success in our discussions. The AIG Maritime Police has clearly stated that they do not send anybody to go and form roadblocks or checkpoints on the corridor. Equally, the Lagos Police Command has said the same thing,” he said.
The NPA boss described the development as a critical step toward dismantling a long-standing regime of delays, harassment and extortion that has inflicted huge costs on importers, exporters and haulage operators.
He added that all relevant agencies, including security institutions, freight forwarding groups and government bodies — had now agreed to work more closely to improve efficiency and strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian ports against rival ports in the sub-region.
Dantsoho expressed confidence that the resolutions reached at the meeting would significantly ease congestion and accelerate cargo movement along the Apapa and Tin Can corridors.
At the end of the meeting, participants expressed optimism that the new coordinated approach would curb extortion, reduce congestion and improve the overall efficiency and security of cargo movement in and out of the nation’s premier ports.
