Companies Relocate Businesses from Apapa over Traffic Congestion

The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, (NCMDLCA), has disclosed that many companies are relocating their businesses from Apapa in Lagos State due to the congestion usually experienced by motorists and commuters on the Mile 2/Tin-Can Island-Apapa Expressway.

President of the association, Mr Lucky Amiwero, in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, said that many companies had also closed shops as a result of the `bottleneck’ usually created by the congestion.

Amiwero said that many people had stopped coming to the ports due to the bad roads. “The gridlock is killing the economy. The economy is being affected by the gridlock.

“The gridlock is affecting the going and coming out of the ports. This has also contributed to the high costs of goods in the country,’’ Amiwero said.

Amiwero said that the Lagos ports, consisting of-Tin-Can, Apapa, Brawal, Lilypond and PTML ports, is controlling 80 per cent of the cargo throughput (imports and exports) in the country.

He described Lagos as the commercial nerve centre of the country, adding that the gridlock had critically affected both imports and exports.

Also, Mr Eugene Nweke, President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), suggested that there should be a decentralisation of import activities in the Western ports.

The freight forwarder said some categories of cargoes should be diverted to other designated ports in the country.