However, in the recent years, the once buzzing epicentre of commercial activities is currently depended solely on the resources coming from the port, and reasons are not far-fetched
“With its access roads collapsed; its streets littered with human excreta; its environment encumbered with solid wastes and its residents always ensnared in intractable gridlock, other businesses had took flights to a more conducive locations, which is quite unfortunate”, rued the Chairman of Almagamated Business Group (ABG), Chief Theodore Nnnamdi.
A visit to Apapa by the Nigerian Tribune last week revealed the extent of vacant offices and buildings, hitherto occupied by financial institutions, manufacturing industries and other ancillary businesses.
What compounded the Apapa woes, apart from bad condition of roads are the activities of tanker drivers that has been on ground for close to a decade. This made movement difficult, as one would be navigating amid trucks and tankers, that caused obstruction to both human and vehicular traffic in virtually all parts of Apapa.
What ignited optimism of the observers is the quality of works being done by the contractors handling the road projects on one hand and the efforts by the Lagos State government to regulates the activities of tankers coming and going outside the environment; the twin menace that bedeviled Apapa.
“Obviously, there are two access roads to or from Apapa: one running from Oshodi and the other from Ijora-Marine Beach axis. Either ways, driving to Apapa is deceptive. Commuters always enjoy smooth ride until Pioneer Bus Stop coming from Oshodi or until Marine Beach Bridge coming from Ijora.
From Pioneer-Coconut axis, less than one kilometre to Tin Can Island Port Complex and about five kilometres to Lagos Port Complex, commuters are left with two irresistible options: either boarding commercial motorcycles at the risk of their lives.
“Coming from Ijora-Marine Beach axis, the story is not different either. Congestion usually starts from Ijora. But what gladdens one’s mind is that the two access roads are now under reconstruction and with the pace at which activities are ongoing, Apapa will be back to its old glory”, said Desmond Olatokunbo, an Urban Planner who works in Lagos Island. Presently, Lagos government had just reconstructed Marine Road within Apapa GRA., while Messrs AG Dangote has embarked on the Apapa Wharf road reconstruction exercise.
The Chairman of Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in one of his interaction with the media, also agreed that the two critical roads linking Apapa belonged to the federal government, and that the the situation has been there for almost two decades. “So, the problem did not start under the current government.but now governments at the two tier are not playing politics with Apapa situation”, said Igbokwe.
He noted that all inner-city roads in Apapa are under the jurisdiction of Lagos State, but good enough, the state government has been progressively constructing the inner-city roads.
“Already, Marine road was constructed, including Burma road, while most roads in Apapa Central Business District have been upgraded under the state’s urban renewal programme”.
Although, Igbkwe argued that federal government owns most public infrastructure and institutions in Apapa project and collects billions of naira annually from Apapa, with little, or no commensurate development, which he said the present administration is addressing.
Exuding confidence over the job doing so far, Project Director,A.g Dangote, Mr Bosun Kalejaiye and the Project Manager, Mr Tunde Jimoh, were of the view that Apapa will soon be back to its former glory, “even better than how it was before.
Kalejaiye told journalists that the outbound section of the road from Wharf to Ijora overhead brige had been completed, while the second part, inbound Apapa, had recorded 25 per cent progress. “In all, the entire project was 75 per cent completed”.
He said that the firm had deployed more personnel and equipment to recover the time lost during relocation of underground and surface utilities in the Right of Way (RoW) of the project.
“We are moving with one gang from section four toward section one and we have another gang from section one moving toward section four.
“Our focus is to finish the project, good quality works by July.
“Our commitment is total. We have brought in additional equipment to speed up. That is why we are focused on finishing the concrete pavement by July,’’ he said.
and then