Below are links to three video evidence to support the story.
1. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19krKadhyU/
2. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DAsgMTpCC/
3. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ERgEE7sGP/
By Ewrhujakpor Godfrey Bivbere
Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria - September 15, 2026: Unless urgent measures are taken to curb the growing traffic along the Mile 2/Tin-can section of the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, we may soon return to the harrowing experiences that commuters, motorists, and residents faced on that route a few years ago.
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| Apart from the trucks carrying orange containers, some none laden trucks can be seen in this picture forming a second lane along the expressway. As it gets dark, the number of such trucks increases resulting in the blockage of the road. |
Over the last two months, the traffic situation heading inward toward the Tin-Can Island Port from Mile 2 has become worrisome. Truck drivers are abandoning the call-up system arranged by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA and Truck Transit Park, TTP.
Instead, they are indiscriminately approaching the port without any regard for the established arrangement.The abandonment of this call-up system, which was designed to create order in truck movements along the corridor, has resulted in the indiscriminate parking of trucks between the Coconut bus stop and the port's main entrance gate.
This completely blocks the free flow of traffic. As a result, commuters and drivers are left trapped in gridlock for several hours whenever the situation gets out of hand.
During the day, the route is normally free for road users. However, as evening approaches, truck drivers take over that section of the highway.
To gain firsthand experience, Harboursandport.com visited the area on three different occasions (August 30, September 8, and September 10, at around 8:00 PM each time), and the experience was far from pleasant.
The traffic regularly stretches from the Warehouse bus stop (and in some cases, from the Trinity bus stop) all the way to the first entrance gate of the port.
Commuters and motorists spend between 30 minutes and an hour just to get to the Coconut bus stop. There, experienced drivers are forced to go under the bridge and drive against oncoming traffic from Apapa, traveling all the way to the Liverpool bridge to connect back to the right side and continue their journey.
One victim whose car was trapped between the Coconut bridge and the port gate told Harboursandport.com that he spent three hours in traffic before he and other unaware, unfortunate car owners could escape. The victim noted that they actually had to beg the truckers and their leaders at the gate before the trucks blocking the expressway were asked to park by the roadside on the way to the Tin-Can second gate.
On the final day of our investigation, a disturbing development was taking shape. Trucks wanting to get into the port had started parking on the opposite side of the road, stretching from the Tin-Can first gate all the way back to the Coconut bridge. This makes driving against traffic to beat the congestion on the inward Tin-Can Island Port route nearly impossible.
Driving against traffic to bypass the bottleneck is gradually becoming a major problem. With each passing day, the other side of the road may also become completely blocked unless urgent measures are taken.
With these developments, it will not be long before hoodlums start attacking cars and other road users again. This mirrors the dark days of the notorious Apapa gridlock, which famously chased residents and businesses away from the port city.
Part 2: The Enablers and Their Roles
In part 2, Harboursandportcom will look at the individuals enabling this chaos and the specific roles they play in bringing back the gridlock:
Senior NPA Staff at Tin-can port: Corrupt officials allegedly bypassing the TTP digital system for personal gain.
Alleged obsolete TTP system: The system deployed by TTP is alleged to be obsolete and needs an upgrade.
TTP's response to the allegation.
The Police: Officers turning a blind eye to traffic violations or actively collecting bribes from illegal truckers.
State Government Foot Soldiers: Local enforcement agents and thugs extorting drivers and allowing indiscriminate parking.
Senior Military Officers: Highly placed individuals who own truck fleets and use their power to bypass the rules without consequences.
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