NPA CONVENES SECURITY AND TRANSPORT STAKEHOLDERS TO UNBLOCK PORT ACCESS ROADS AND PROTECT CARGO FLOW

NPA CONVENES SECURITY AND TRANSPORT STAKEHOLDERS TO UNBLOCK PORT ACCESS ROADS AND PROTECT CARGO FLOW
By prince Benson Davies

The Nigerian Ports Authority has intensified its engagement with security and transport agencies to remove bottlenecks along port corridors and ensure cargo moves without interruption in and out of Lagos. The meeting focused on ending jurisdictional overlaps and extortion on the Apapa and Tin Can Island access roads, which have continued to affect port efficiency.

The session was held on Thursday, May 25, 2026, at the NPA Headquarters, Marina, Lagos. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, led the Authority’s team. Stakeholders in attendance included the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Maritime Command, AIG Nurat Okunade; Representative of the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Ojowuro Olasunkanmi; Secretary-General of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Dr. Godfrey Nwosu; and the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Corps Commander Ganiyu Hamzat.

Also present were the National President and Secretary-General of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Chief Remi Ogungbemi and Comrade Bala Mohammed. From the NPA, the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mrs. Vivian Richard-Edet; Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Engr. Olalekan Badmus; and General Manager, Security, Mr. Anthony Edosomwan joined the discussions. The composition of the delegation reflected the cross-agency nature of the issues under review.

Dr. Dantsoho told the meeting that uninterrupted cargo flow is central to Nigeria’s plan to secure hub port status in West and Central Africa. He said the Federal Government’s reforms in the last few years have improved terminal operations, reduced vessel turnaround time, and attracted positive assessments from global institutions including the World Bank. According to him, those gains will be eroded if trucks, freight agents, and port users continue to contend with gridlock, multiple enforcement points, and unauthorized charges on access roads.

The NPA Chief Executive stressed that the objective is a coordinated enforcement and traffic management model that respects statutory mandates, eliminates duplication, and protects port users. He called for clearer roles for security and regulatory agencies on the corridors, stronger collaboration with truck associations, and consistent monitoring to deter extortion.

Representatives of the participating agencies and associations committed to joint patrols, improved signage and lane discipline, and intelligence sharing to identify and sanction offenders. Freight forwarders and truck owners pledged to support compliance with call-up systems and designated routes.

The Authority said it will sustain regular stakeholder reviews to measure progress on traffic flow, security on the corridors, and user experience at the gates. The plan is to institutionalise a feedback loop so that challenges are addressed quickly and reforms on the port side are matched by order on the roads.

Caption:
MD/CEO, NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, 3rd right; Executive Director, Finance & Administration, NPA, Mrs. Vivian Richard-Edet, 2nd right; and other stakeholders during the meeting at the NPA Headquarters, Marina, Lagos.