FG loses N11 trillion to Apapa traffic  – Dr. Dorcas Daniel Bature

FG loses N11 trillion to Apapa traffic  – Dr. Dorcas Daniel Bature

Nigeria has no maritime policy – Says Captain Abel Ogar

A stakeholder in the maritime industry,
Dr. Dorcas Daniel Bature has said that Apapa traffic gridlock is impacting negatively on the nation’s economy, thereby making the Federal Government to lose huge revenue.

She disclosed this while speaking on the topic, ‘Apapa Gridlock – Implications On The Nation And Port Administration’, at the 2021 Lecture/ Award, organised by The New Experience Newspaper, in Lagos.

She informed : “The tax-loss estimate from DIL in 2018 was N44bn, and in 5 years accumulated loss will be N2.1 trillion. When all the taxes are combined from private sectors operating in Apapa axis, such as BUA, Honeywell, and other businesses, the estimated total loss to the government is about N11 trillion.”

She went on : “Motorists and residents who ply or live in Apapa axis are groaning over the worsening traffic situation in the area.
Despite efforts by the government to eliminate the causes, Apapa traffic  remains a monster that defies all remedies.
Consequently, businesses  continue to suffer while commuting remains a herculean task.

“Apart from losses in Manpower on traffic, property income continues to suffer. This is so because businesses are going under or relocating while tenants are also relocating out of Apapa thereby, taking away social activities from the area which in turn, affects the economy of the local government, the State government and the country at large.”

According to her,
“Despite the fact that Apapa is home to the two busiest ports in Nigeria, which could have been a blessing, the perennial gridlock has turned it into a nightmare for motorists and residents”.

Speaking further on the challenges motorists, commuters and truck drivers within Apapa environs face daily, Dr. Bature said, “there is urgent need for government intervention to improve traffic flow down to Oshodi-Apapa Expressway”.

In the same vein, Capt. Abel Ogar (retired), who spoke on the way forward explained :
“If you look at where Nigeria is today, the number one problem we have is leadership and when the leadership is faulty there is lack of political will to do things right, that is a big problem.

“This is the time to start putting the right people in their places. We don’t have a maritime policy, if we have a maritime policy our ports ought not to be valueless.

“Imagine a business man from the Eastern part of the country coming to Lagos to clear his imported containers, when the containers could have arrived  in Calabar, Port Harcourt, or warri and the business man does whatever he wants to do with his containers without coming to Lagos.”