Faced with the failure of previous attempts to ease congestion and growing competition from the port of Lekki, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is taking back control of the logistics management of the port of Apapa. A structured plan that focuses on regulating access, reorganizing flows, and centralized supervision is in place to restore port performance.

On June 11, the NPA unveiled a new operational strategy to address chronic congestion at the Port of Apapa. From now on, access to the terminals will be regulated by a three-tier alert system. This protocol imposes restrictions based on the level of congestion observed.

The redeployment of some traffic to secondary terminals is becoming mandatory, as is the monitoring of temporary storage areas, which have been poorly regulated until now. The goal is to better distribute flows and relieve pressure on critical areas.

This plan represents a departure from the permissive policy that has prevailed for over a decade. The NPA introduces a formal regulatory framework, with specific deadlines, mandatory inspections, and possible sanctions for non-compliance. Private logistics operators will be subject to regular audits, and the entire system is placed under its direct supervision.

In a changing regional context, this reform also aims to reposition the port of Apapa in the face of the growing power of the port of Lekki. The challenges are multiple and include streamlining road networks, regaining the trust of operators, and ensuring more manageable delivery times.

The boom in continental trade, driven by the AfCFTA, is increasing pressure on traditional ports, which must now meet higher competitiveness standards. This reform follows a history of successive failures: a presidential directive in 2019, the implementation of the ETO system in 2021, and the rehabilitation of the Apapa-Oworonshoki axis in 2024.

So many initiatives have failed to produce the expected results. The difference today lies in the structuring of the system, the centralization of decisions, and the desire to break with the logic of circumvention.