A worsening tanker traffic crisis is tightening its grip on Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridor, leaving businesses stranded, commuters frustrated and billions of naira in economic activities under threat.
The Apapa and Kirikiri corridors—home to some of Nigeria’s busiest ports, petroleum depots and industrial facilities—have once again become the epicentre of crippling congestion, with hundreds of fuel tankers occupying major highways and bringing movement to a crawl.
Industry stakeholders say the crisis is being fuelled by poor logistics planning, inadequate truck holding bays, weak enforcement of traffic regulations and operational failures within parts of the downstream petroleum sector.
The persistent gridlock is disrupting cargo evacuation from the ports, delaying fuel distribution, increasing transport costs and forcing businesses to absorb mounting financial losses. Residents and commuters also continue to endure long hours in traffic, while damaged road infrastructure adds to the growing burden.
The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) accused some tank farm operators of admitting more trucks than their facilities can handle, forcing hundreds of tankers onto public roads while waiting to load petroleum products.
The association said wider implementation of the Electronic Call-Up System, similar to the model used around the Lekki Deep Sea Port, could significantly ease congestion if fully adopted and properly enforced.
Police authorities maintained that the problem goes beyond traffic management, insisting that lasting solutions require adequate truck parks, expanded holding bays and stronger coordination among government agencies, terminal operators and transport unions.
The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) also called for collective action, urging stricter enforcement against indiscriminate roadside parking, improved compliance with electronic scheduling systems and sustained investment in transport infrastructure.
With Nigeria serving as Africa’s largest economy, stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the Apapa-Kirikiri gridlock could continue to weaken supply chains, slow economic growth and undermine the country’s position as a regional trade and logistics powerhouse.
