By Roland Ekama
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) headquarters annex in Apapa was forced to suspend on-site operations for three days after heavy rains from Monday to Wednesday caused severe flooding across the complex, disrupting staff access and threatening trade facilitation at the Lagos Ports Complex.
Heavy rains caused severe flooding at the NPA headquarters annex in Apapa, leading to a three-day suspension of on-site operations.
Staff faced challenges accessing ground-floor offices, with some resorting to upstairs offices or leaving due to safety concerns. Port users navigated ankle- to knee-deep water, highlighting the lack of flood-control measures.
Concerns were raised about the impact on trade facilitation and structural damage if flooding persists. Calls were made for urgent action to improve working conditions.
Many staff members abandoned efforts to work on-site and returned home as floodwaters made movement within the premises unsafe.
Vehicles parked inside the compound were submerged, and access to and from the annex was substantially reduced.
Port users and workers were seen wading through ankle- to knee-deep water, with soaked footwear and rolled-up trousers, while others clung to office furniture to avoid damage.
Eyewitnesses blamed a lack of proactive flood-control measures by NPA management for the disruption and reduced worker productivity.
Chief Osita Chukwu, National Coordinator of the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), warned that continued flooding at the annex will negatively affect trade facilitation.
He urged NPA Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho to visit Apapa to assess conditions firsthand and implement lasting solutions.
Chukwu also raised concerns about potential structural damage to the long-neglected building if annual flooding persists.
Truck driver Lawal Ibrahim said access to the annex has been halted for three days and described the standing, malodorous water as a health hazard for workers and visitors. He called on the Dantsoho administration to urgently improve the working environment for posted staff.
Attempts to reach NPA spokesman Ikechukwu Onyemekara for comment were unsuccessful.
