NPA Achieves Major Milestone in Resolving Decade-Long Mile 2-TinCan-Apapa Corridor Gridlock

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has successfully resolved the decade-long gridlock on the Mile 2-TinCan-Apapa corridor, a critical route serving the TinCan and Apapa ports.

The announcement came via a post on the NPA’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday. The NPA credited this achievement to a collaborative effort involving the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police Force, and the support of Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Maritime and Blue Economy.

“The Management of the @nigerianports continues to appreciate the renewed partnership with @followlasg, @NigerianNavy, @PoliceNG, and the support of the Hon. Minister of @FMoMBENigeria, Alh @GboyegaOyetola, in clearing the 12-year hideous gridlock on the Mile 2-TinCan-Apapa corridor,” the post read.

The NPA highlighted that clearing the gridlock has significantly reduced travel time for export containers entering the port from an average of 10 days to under an hour.

According to the NPA, this improvement has led to enhanced quality control of exports, decreased haulage costs, faster truck turnaround times, and reduced import costs. Additional benefits include improved port security, lowered shipping costs, and enhanced port competitiveness. The NPA emphasized its commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to sustain this achievement.

Background
The Mile 2-TinCan-Apapa corridor gridlock has long plagued motorists and disrupted port operations. Various authorities, including the Lagos State Government and the NPA, have previously attempted to address the congestion, but these efforts had limited success.

In early 2021, the NPA introduced the Eto app, an electronic truck call-up system designed to manage truck movements and access to the Lagos Ports Complex and Tin Can Island Ports. This system requires trucks to park at approved locations and enter the port only when called up via the Eto app.

Despite the initial promise, the Eto app faced several challenges. In December 2023, the NPA uncovered a fake e-CallUp syndicate in possession of over 400 vehicle plate numbers and more than 200 Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers used for proxy bookings.

The Lagos State Government has also launched various initiatives to ease the gridlock, including reconstituting the Apapa Special Traffic Management Team in October 2022. However, congestion persisted until this recent breakthrough.