FG moves to clear Niger gridlock, illegal truck parking in Lagos

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the federal government to swiftly resolve a traffic crisis along the Bida–Kutigi corridor in Niger State and to remove illegally parked trucks from key Lagos transport routes. These measures aim to alleviate transportation bottlenecks that have disrupted the flow of passengers, commercial vehicles, and goods on crucial routes.

Prince Adetokunbo Ademola Ade-John, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Transportation and Mobility, convened officials from the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and road transport operators to devise immediate solutions for restoring traffic flow in Niger State. The directive stems from President Tinubu's call for urgent action on the growing congestion.

Ade-John consulted with FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, the Minister of State for Works Bello Muhammad Goronyo, and the National President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Yusuf Lawal, to identify the root causes of the disruption and devise a coordinated response. The Wuya Bridge, connecting Bida and Kutigi, has become a major congestion point along the corridor, severely restricting traffic between Bida and Badeggi, Agaie, and around the Maje–Diko Junction near the Suleja NNPC Depot.

Vehicles have been blocked in both directions for approximately two weeks, affecting passengers, freight operators, and other road users, and increasing travel delays along a corridor that facilitates the movement of agricultural produce, commercial goods, and people across Niger State and neighboring regions.

The federal government is determined to address these transportation bottlenecks that impact mobility and economic activity. Ade-John urged motorists and transport operators to cooperate with traffic authorities during the implementation of these measures. Separately, the government is also targeting illegal truck parking in Lagos, where unauthorized parking along major port corridors has caused persistent congestion.

At a stakeholders' meeting convened by the Nigerian Ports Authority, Ade-John threatened that trucks obstructing the Coastal Road and Deep-Sea Port Access Road would be impounded and relocated to designated truck parks. This warning is intended to keep the strategic routes clear and prevent unauthorised truck parking from disrupting traffic flow and road safety, as the affected corridor is vital for transporting cargo between ports, businesses, and markets.