From a past steeped in glory and illustriousness, Apapa, a once beautiful and sought after business and residential district of Lagos, has taken a descent. Business activities have literally gone comatose and a once vibrant area seems to have gone to sleep, owing to dilapidated infrastructure and what stakeholders have described as administrative neglect. Medinat Kanabe, who recently toured the area reports.
IN the past, if you wanted to set up a big business in Lagos and you didn’t choose Apapa as your office/factory location, you’re likely to be dismissed as unserious or ill-advised. Mainly because of its popularity as the commercial nerve centre of Lagos metropolis and the fact that it plays host to the two busiest ports in the country, everybody just wanted to be a part of it.
Soon, a bubbly city was built around the ports; a situation that galvanised more investors and industrialists into making it their number one choice. Inevitably, this also attracted a huge labour force into the area, and an attendant beehive of human and vehicular activities.
Apapa also emerged as a preferred residential area for the upper class, with top European business owners and expatriates making it their choice of abode. Those born in the 1970s and beyond would still remember the acronym, European Quarters, with its well-planned streets and immaculately trimmed lawns and greenery. The proximity to their businesses naturally meant that they didn’t have to go through the emerging Lagos maddening traffic.
Sadly, those illustrious years, seem to be over.
As it stands, Apapa seems to have lost its glory. Although it is still a major force as a business community and a huge income generator for the nation, many people and companies have relocated from the place, making it a shadow of its old self.
Investigations by The Nation, show that so much has changed. Majorly, it was discovered that the perennial logjam caused by the high concentration and movement of goods by big containers and trailers, is responsible for this change in fortune. The situation, especially because of the failed portions of the roads en route Apapa from Mile 2 and the long stretch of fuel tanker vehicles, parked indiscriminately on both the highway and the service lanes, means that motorists and commuters have to go through hell to get to their destinations.
As this reporter found out, going to Apapa from Oshodi through Mile 2, Berger and Sunrise is now almost an impossibility and not advisable anymore. She was told pointedly that she could not get a direct vehicle to Apapa from Cele Bus Stop, unless she is prepared to board a bike at the First Gate Bus Stop axis.
The bus driver explained that people no longer go to Apapa through that route, except when they’re not in a hurry. “We also do not pass First Gate. We usually drop off our passengers at First Gate, from where they find their way.”
Indeed, the express road from Cele Bus Stop area to Mile 2 is free but once vehicles get to Berger bus stop, right after the Mile2 flyover, the menace of tankers parked recklessly on the highway automatically spells slow, painful movement. They continue to increase in number as one proceeds, forming as much as three lanes at the Sunrise bus stop area and literally locking up the road.
This reporter thus had to negotiate her way from First Gate to Apapa, as the driver dropped off all passengers and made a U-turn immediately. Left high and dry, she asked a young man how she could get to Apapa from there.
“After this point, the only other means of transportation is Okada, except you are driving a trailer,” was his curt reply.
Asked what the problem was, he said it is traffic gridlock. Switching to pidgin English, he explained further: “And no be say na bad road cause the traffic o, na all these trailers wey too plenty here and people dey fear because them dey quick fall. Sometimes, them go just park their trailer, block the road and disappear. Person fit stay that traffic from morning till evening. If you look the road well, you go know sey motor fit still manage am, but these trailers just make the road impassable.”
Empty office buildings
Left with no choice, this reporter boarded a motorcycle. At Burma Road, where Apapa Local Government is located, she alighted and took a walk to Creek Road through Wharf. The section of Burma Road was in good shape, but Creek Road and Commercial road, two major roads in the axis, have become a shadow of their old selves.
Most of the companies on the right side of the road have closed down, save Standard Flour Mills, a company which commenced operations in 1982.
At the 15, Creek Road office of Standard Flower Mills, a gentleman, who introduced himself as Giwa disclosed that the major reason the company is still there, is because of its jetty, located by the waters. “In fact, most of the companies that are still here are shipping companies that have jetties. We can’t go anywhere because it is impossible to take our equipments away from here.”
Lamenting the deplorable situation, he added: “Imagine coming to the office and spending two hours coming to work every day and two hours going back because of the bad roads. I have relocated (my residence) to Yaba, but I still spend up to 30minutes on the road instead of the normal 15 minutes. Some of our workers have had to walk from Costain (an almost three kilometer stretch) to work several times. I tell you, it is so sad.”
At one of the deserted companies visited, bearing a small rusty signpost, ‘GM Motors,’ The Nation met an elderly security man in the compound, who would neither speak to this reporter nor allow her take any pictures.
He however softened after much cajoling and a little inducement. He explained that the company and other office buildings and factories on the road have been deserted for over five years. He however said most of them still have security men looking after them, to prevent touts, the homeless and trailer drivers from taking them over.
He confirmed that the building (he guards) was first owned by GM Motors before it was bought over by another company, which is yet to change the signpost. “GM Motors has relocated to Ikeja but the company I work for bought over the building. They only use it as a warehouse. They have also rented a part of the building to some people as warehouse. Dangote trucks also park in one of the abandoned compounds around here.”
He however refused to allow this reporter have a closer look at the warehouse. From the gate, some women could be seen going in and out of the compound, probably for convenience before returning to their shanty shops where they sell mostly alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and other stuffs to touts and trailer drivers.
Other companies that have closed down in the axis, he explained, include: “CSO Motors, Mr. Biggs, Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), National Clearing and Forwarding Agency and several others. And the main cause of the closure is bad roads.”
At the National Clearing and Forwarding Agency, a mobile police officer said the company has been taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). The storey building used to house officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Customs Services.
A representative of AMCON, who spoke to The Nation, said the building was taken over because the occupiers of the building could no longer pay the rent.
A driver who works with Unity Bank gave this reporter a ride back to the (Apapa LG) secretariat. He confirmed that the traffic situation is what drove people away from the commercial district. “Everybody has gone. Nobody is on the other side of the road. There is no business in Apapa anymore. They are leaving because of the bad road and the fact that commodities don’t come into the country like before. The companies that have not gone completely have other branches in other places. An example is Bua Group. All our friends from the companies have gone to the other branch. Just a few people are left here.”
He explained further that “Whenever ships come in and trucks are loading, to enter Apapa is usually very difficult. You won’t even see any other vehicles except Okada. Apapa has only one road, which is Area B and it is in a really bad situation. As we speak, only trucks can ply the road.”
Crash in property rates
As a result of this dip in fortune, The Nation also discovered that prices of properties and rents have crashed drastically in Apapa. A popular house agent, Japari James, told The Nation that properties are available for rent from between N5m and N250, 000.
Asked if indeed the demand for properties in Apapa has gone down due to the exodus of businesses and people, he said the situation is not as bad. “My sister people are still paying for houses for as high as N5m. People are coming to Apapa every day. Apapa remains a busy place notwithstanding. It is just that the prices of houses have reduced very well. The one of N500, 000 now goes for N250, 000, while the one of N1m now goes for 500, 000.”
Apapa GRA, still a beauty
Although Apapa GRA still retains its beauty and impressive architecture, there seems to be no new building or development. Houses are still maintained by the owners but some of them are managed by house keepers.
One of the security men on Oduduwa Street said people are not moving out from the street but revealed that they travel most of the time. “For this our street, many people dey travel every week and come back for weekend because of the traffic. Na only that house (pointing to a house down the street) somebody pack out and as I dey see am so, somebody don rent am that is why dem dey paint am.”
Eleganza Plaza
Eleganza Industrial City is perhaps the biggest plaza in Apapa. A trip into the grand plaza showed that business is still on-going though not like before.
A woman who sells roasted plantain just outside the plaza said business has really dwindled at the plaza. “This road used to be very busy and full of traffic but these days, you hardly see vehicles on the road. Before now, there used to be very heavy traffic because of activities in this plaza but now, the road is so free. It used to be extremely difficult to get a shop in Eleganza, but as we speak, I am sure they may even beg you to come and take up a space. The number of people that come here to do business has reduced significantly.”
A representative of Eleganza Plaza spoken to, however said people are not leaving the plaza. “Rather, people come in everyday to make enquiries for space. As a result, our rents have not reduced.” He said.
The sizes of available shops, he said include those of 285 square metres, 142.5 square metres, and 71.25 square metres; adding that prices range between N900,000 and N3.2m.
Apapa Local Government
At the Burma Road office of Apapa Local Government, the Information Officer was not available for comments. One of the court officials activities have been at a low ebb since he started working in the court some years ago. “People rarely come here, so we deal mostly in divorce cases.”
He revealed that even wedding activities have reduced. “These days, we have as low as three weddings on Thursdays, unlike before when this place was a choice place for intending couples.”
As it stands, activities may be at a low ebb, but with the right government and people attitude’s the story may yet change, as Apapa’s location gives it an edge over other locations even within the Lagos metropolis.
