Nigeria approves PPP for easing congestion on port access roads

Sep 07, 2018: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) managing director Hadiza Bala Usman has revealed that Nigeria’s federal executive council has approved a R3 billion public private partnership (PPP) for the construction of port access roads in Apapa and Tin Can Island.

Crippling congestion at Apapa has been a serious problem impacting negatively on port operations over the past couple of years. A new traffic management/enforcement team was also created to address the crippling congestion on the port roads.

According to Hadiza, very soon only trucks housed in the proposed trailer parks will be allowed entry into port locations. “Management is to deploy an electronic call-up system that allows access to the ports only when they are needed,” she said.

In addition to this, the authority announced earlier this year that it would be encouraging the use of barges in future for the evacuation of cargoes from the country’s ports to the hinterland. Additionally, the Apapa Wharf Road reconstruction project has reached 85 percent completion and is expected to be finished within the next four to six weeks.