Lagos, Nigeria — June 24, 2026 — The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Police Force have denied authorising roadblocks and checkpoints along the Apapa and Tin Can Island port corridors, as stakeholders moved to establish a joint task force to tackle extortion, congestion and operational inefficiencies.
The decision followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos involving security agencies, freight forwarders, transport unions and government officials aimed at restoring order and improving cargo movement across Nigeria’s busiest port access routes.
Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said investigations revealed widespread extortion, illegal checkpoints and jurisdictional overlaps among security agencies as major causes of delays along the corridors.
“We have problems along the port corridor in Apapa and Tin Can Island. Now, we have established that there are issues around extortion along the corridor. That is outside the port,” Dantsoho said.
He noted that the disruptions extend beyond port gates to key logistics routes, including Berger and Mile 2, further complicating cargo evacuation and increasing turnaround time for transporters.
Dantsoho also identified overlapping mandates between the Maritime Police Command and the Lagos State Police Command as a contributing factor.
“The second issue is the issue of overlap, jurisdictional overlap… in some instances, there are clashes,” he explained.
He, however, disclosed that both police formations denied deploying officers to mount checkpoints along the port corridors.
“The AIG Maritime Police has clearly stated that they do not send anybody to go and form roadblocks or checkpoints on the corridor. Equally, the Lagos Police Command has said the same thing,” he said.
Corroborating this position, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Maritime, AIG Okunade Ronke, said any officer found operating illegal checkpoints or engaging in extortion was acting outside official directives.
“We have never posted officers to any checkpoint around the port environment,” she stated, urging stakeholders to report erring personnel for disciplinary action.
To address the challenges, stakeholders agreed to set up a joint task force comprising representatives of the NPA, Nigeria Police, Lagos State Government and other relevant agencies.
According to Okunade, the task force will focus on eliminating extortion, reducing traffic congestion, improving security and enhancing operational efficiency along the port corridors.
Stakeholders, including the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), welcomed the initiative, describing it as a critical step toward addressing longstanding complaints of harassment and disruption to cargo movement.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation also stressed the need for sustained inter-agency collaboration, noting that coordinated action is essential to resolving the persistent bottlenecks affecting the port system.
Dantsoho added that ongoing reforms were beginning to yield positive results, citing recent recognition of Nigeria’s port system as one of the most improved globally.
“Our emphasis will be that we are going to function, and then function better… so we can do better than our neighboring countries,” he said.
Participants expressed optimism that the new task force and renewed cooperation would significantly improve traffic management, strengthen security and boost the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.
