Gridlock hurting Nigeria business

lagos — Even okadas, the motorcycle-taxis that buzz fearlessly around Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, struggle to negotiate the road to Apapa — the country’s busiest seaport.

Riders pick their way gingerly around giant potholes that resemble blast craters, and among the lines of stationary trucks perched at precarious angles on the rutted surface.

Getting to and from Apapa — the catch-all name for Lagos’ two seaports of Apapa and Tin Can Island — has increasingly become a nightmare for pretty much everyone.

Now, with the chronic traffic jams hurting business and no sign of any swift resolution to the problem, labour unrest is looming large on the horizon.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has given the federal government an ultimatum: fix the roads or face an indefinite walk-out.

MWUN leader Adewale Adeyanju said an openended strike by its members would paralyse port activities but they had no alternative.

As well as security, he said shipping companies and businesses were increasingly using alternative berths such as those in Cotonou, in neighbouring Benin. “While our neighbouring ports are booming, our ports have been deserted because of the failed access roads to the ports, the gateway to the nation’s economy,” said Adeyanju. — AFP