TheCable

Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has called on Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos state governor, to relocate truck parks in Apapa area of the state.

She made the call while speaking at a session of the 14th annual business law conference which held virtually, on Friday.

Usman said the truck parks located in Apapa have contributed to congestion in the area.

The NPA boss called for the provision of large truck parks at designated places outside the Apapa area.

“There is a need to have designated places for the trucks to stay and wait for a call-up. If we don’t have designated places, the trucks will wake up and drive to the ports,” she said.

“So Lagos state government must take ownership in providing designated truck terminals where they will be a linkage and call-up with the terminal operators and Nigerian ports. But when we have 36 number truck location all around the Apapa ports environment, how do you think how are going to sanitise that?

“In the truck corridor, we shouldn’t have many truck parks. We should have larger truck parks that are outside the ports environment. Nigerian ports are not responding for providing truck terminals.

“Why should you have a truck park inside Apapa area. Lagos state should review the land use charge attributable to trailer parks. There are some locations in Apapa, why should you build truck parks there? No, that place is too congested already. They should push it out of the town.”

Usman said there is an ongoing discussion with the Lagos state government to provide larger trailer parks.

In May 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that trucks causing gridlock in Apapa should be removed.

Victor Akinjo, chairman of the house of representatives committee on privatisation and commercialisation, had said the gridlock in Apapa costs Nigeria about N600 billion monthly.