Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured that the federal government is committed to its plans to build new Sea Ports across the country to decongest the highly congested Apapa port in Lagos state.

Osinbajo made this known to journalists during an inspection tour with Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other top government officials to Apapa and other areas in the axis locked down by perennial vehicular gridlock.

Osinbajo said the government has decided to clear the trailers and tankers on the road so that there can be easy access to the port, adding that there is considerable improvement in the Apapa congestion after enforcement of presidential order in Apapa.

He said, “The Mile 2 end is the axis where we think that there are difficulties. But we think that in the next couple of days, it will be resolved especially with the opening of the Tin Can Island trailer parks and the palliative work that is ongoing all the way to mile 2 which Hi-tech is handling. And we should be able ti resolve that congestion in the Mile 2 end.

“And you will see that the entry route to the port has been cleared. So, we need to understand that there are short term and mid to long term solutions. One of the mid-to-long term measures is to decongest the cargo Traffic coming into the port.

“We need to understand that this is a port that was designed to take 34 million metric tonnes daily but is currently taking over 80. With this, it is obvious that there is need to find alternative quickly. And to expand, where that is possible, of course the Lekki port is an ongoing project which will be a great help when completed because it will support the Apapa and Tin Can ports. Also, we are dredging the Warri port which is aimed towards decongesting the traffic into an out of the Apapa and Tin Can ports are done effectively.”