Don Proffers Solution to Ports Decongestion

As part of efforts to address the perennial traffic gridlock in Apapa Port, a Professor of Geography at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun has stressed the need for government to encourage the use of water and railway to evacuate cargo from the seaports.
He explained that the perennial gridlock in Apapa had heightened inflation in the nation’s economy.
Badejo noted that the gridlock had brought additional inflation because a container that takes about N85, 000 to lift now goes for about N180, 000 due to the cost implications of having to wait for hours.
Badejo said: “There was concern for security, safety, pilferages and robberies; so if we are able to analyse social cost, there is need for drastic action to resolve the quagmire on that road.”
“There are options. There is need to encourage the use of water mode to redistribute the goods that were brought into the port.
“There are terminals around that can be develop as acoustic measure. There are Jetties at Mile 2, Ikorodu, Epe and all this can serve as immediate measure.
“Nigerian railways had stopped operating from the port and what led to that decision was mysterious to me because in 1985, the railway evacuated 85per cent of goods at the port while road accounted for 15 percent.
“Immediately they pulled out the rail system, there was no provision for other mode of transportation to accommodate the 85 percent that was withdrawn hence, the road became jam-packed with containers.
Badejo was of the opinion that if the rail system was no more in use and additional 85 per cent was added to a sector that could not accommodate more than 15 per cent, the nation would face consequences on the roads.
The university don suggested that the best solution was to resuscitate the rail system to move goods from the port to the hinterland.
He advised the government to create satellite port especially around Badagry, Agbara Mile 2 or Ikorodu.
He added: “We have not done serious analytical implications of that corridor to know what it is causing socially, environmentally and its health and economic implications.
“If we identify the real cost implications we will know the effect of not taking drastic measures at addressing this quagmire on the economy of the country.”