Three years after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the Nigerian government would end the perennial traffic situation on the Apapa Expressway in Lagos, very little progress appears to have been achieved in that regard.
SaharaReporters gathered that several working hours are lost daily as a result of delays in the movement of goods and persons along the route due to bad roads.
Osinbajo had, in a tweet in 2017, said the government was working with private sector players to resolve the perennial traffic gridlock around the route.
He further directed the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to implement clear objectives to tackle the Apapa traffic gridlock.
“We should look at all the components and find a quick solution,” Osinbajo said.
Today, I presided over a Govt/Private sector meeting on how to resolve the Apapa traffic gridlock.
Last week, I flew over the Apapa for an aerial assessment of the situation. pic.twitter.com/6Y6WqKHf8l— Prof Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) November 14, 2017
Three years after the order and directive, SaharaReporters gathered the situation became even worse and has remained so ever since.
Several cargoes and containers remained trapped in the port despite the deployment of security personnel by the government to the route.
Nigerians have taken to social media to mock the Vice President for failing to find a solution to the gridlock.
They reminded Osinbajo not to forget his promise of helping to end the perennial traffic situation on the route.
Mocking Osinbajo, @destayo67 wrote: “Three years after, no solution in sight.”
@Sir_focus said Osinbajo could not proffer a solution to the gridlock because he flew over it.
“It’s because he flew over, if he had stayed right inside the gridlock for a proper assessment, he would find a solution,” he said.
@KachiZone said: “Kindly update Nigerians on the progress your office has made with regards to the Apapa gridlock which you ‘flew over’ ‘for an aerial assessment’ in 2017.”
@Ayorbami said: “Almost three years…are you still presiding….no future for this country.”
@NafdacA tweeted saying: “Apapa is still as it is; all I see here is just pictures with no action.”
@Chukwuy3m said: “Too much talk, paperwork and aerial assessment! What’s on the ground, and is it producing results? Doing business is so frustrating here!!!”
@anieowodo tweeted in pidgin saying: “Oga still dey do assessment in the air.” When translated to the English language, it means, Osinbajo is still assessing in the air.
@ObajeGodsMight said: “What a shame! How many times will you do this? This isn’t the first time this administration has done the same thing. I never knew you are a great propagandist.”
@honeykan said: “Must be rocket science. Three years now and still, no progress!! SMH”
“Three years have gone down the lane. We are still waiting for your resolution on this trip,” @kennydenz wrote.
The Nigerian government collects revenues from the two ports in Apapa, which are considered the busiest in Nigeria, accounting for over 70 per cent of all the import and export activities in the country.
The Lagos State Government, on its part, collects landing fees from the ports. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had, during his campaign in 2019, promised to clear the gridlock within his first six months in office.
