A 40ft container-laden truck on Friday crashed off a trailer at the foot of the Ijora Bridge near the Area “B” Police Command along the Apapa-Ijora corridor in Lagos, triggering massive gridlock and crippling movement to and from Nigeria’s busiest seaport. The incident, which coincided with heavy rainfall across the Lagos metropolis, brought traffic to a near standstill as hundreds of commuters, port users and government officials were left stranded for hours.
Photographs from the scene showed the container perched precariously on the bridge, while long queues of vehicles stretched across both sides of the busy highway, leaving motorists and port users trapped in severe congestion. An eyewitness said the container crashed onto the bridge near the Area “B” Police Command, causing widespread disruption to vehicular movement towards Ijora and Lagos Island.
The accident is the latest in a string of incidents underscoring the persistent safety and traffic challenges along the Apapa port corridor, where hundreds of articulated trucks converge daily to service the nation’s busiest ports. Frustrated commuters and port users lamented the prolonged delays, warning that recurring accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles continue to disrupt supply chains, derail delivery schedules, increase haulage costs and prolong cargo clearance, with significant economic consequences for businesses operating within and beyond the nation’s premier maritime gateway.