The Lagos State Government has appealed to the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, to urgently address the worsening state of the Apapa Bridge and surrounding road infrastructure, warning that continued neglect could trigger serious safety risks and disrupt economic activities within the port corridor.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation and Logistics, Mr Adekoya Hassan, described Apapa as a strategic hub to Nigeria’s economy and the main evacuation route for cargo, petroleum tankers and commuters linked to the Lagos Port Complex.
Hassan stressed that immediate intervention by the Ministry of Works was critical to avert a possible structural failure of the bridge.
“We are concerned about the outbound heavy-duty truck traffic from this terminal. If this road is fixed 10 times, we’ll still have the same result, which is collapse. It is the only exit road from Apapa, Lagos port, and the current road here has been under construction for a while,” he said.
He warned that a collapse of the bridge would have far-reaching consequences for port operations and the national economy.
“If the Minister does not pay any attention to this road, perhaps if this road collapses any moment from now, it will have a great effect on the nation’s ports here. So, we are calling on the Minister to put the road in order.
“While appreciating the government’s efforts to upgrade infrastructure nationwide, we urge them to prioritise the Apapa ports, a crucial gateway to our economy. The roads are in dire need of repairs and maintenance to ensure efficient operations. We look forward to seeing improvements in this critical area.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Apapa Truck Cargoes, Mr Saheed Mahmoud, lamented the deteriorating condition of the road, noting that it had become a major hazard for truck operators.
“This road is causing damage to our trucks. When coming from Apapa, once you get to this road, accidents occur. Some trucks fall with their cargo here. We are pleading with the Federal Government to help with repairs,” Mahmoud said.
The Chairman of Klassique Tenor Limited, Mr Ayo Vaughan, called on the Federal Government to undertake a lasting reconstruction of the road, arguing that previous repair efforts had failed.
“About three months ago, the Federal Government carried out a fire-brigade repair on this road, but it has collapsed again. The Minister of Works lives in Abuja and may not know what is happening in Lagos, but something concrete that will stand the test of time must be done. They also need to fix the Apapa Costain Road,” Vaughan said.
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