Residents Lament Gridlock as Dangote Trucks Choke Lekki-Epe Road
Atume Terfa
A growing wave of concern is spreading across Lagos as residents and business owners in Lekki-Epe road raise alarm over the heavy traffic congestion caused by trucks servicing the Dangote Refinery located in Lekki Free Zone of Ibeju Lekki Lagos.
The influx of these vehicles has turned what was once a busy but manageable road into a near-permanent traffic gridlock, disrupting daily life and slowing economic activities in one of Lagos’ fastest-growing corridors.
The Lekki-Epe Expressway, a major route linking Lagos to the emerging industrial hub of Ibeju-Lekki, now witnesses hundreds of articulated trucks daily — a figure experts warn could surge to over 3,000 trucks per day as the refinery moves toward full production capacity.
Residents describe the situation as unbearable. Long queues of stationary trucks have reduced road space, leaving commuters stuck for hours and local businesses struggling to survive.
“Moving from Epe to Ajah now takes almost three to four hours,” lamented a commercial driver, who noted that fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance costs have doubled. “The trucks just line up on the road, and smaller vehicles have no space to move.”
For small business owners, the situation has translated into financial strain. Traders in the Epe main market say supplies arrive late, perishable goods spoil in transit, and transporters charge more to make deliveries through the clogged expressway.
“Customers are not coming like before,” said a food vendor at Araga Market. “Most people avoid passing this road because of the traffic. Business is really going down.”
The gridlock is also impacting logistics operations for industries and factories along the corridor. The longer travel time affects workforce mobility, delays product deliveries, and disrupts the movement of raw materials.
According to Vanguard and The Guardian Nigeria, the Lagos State Government had earlier introduced an “e-call-up” system — a digital arrangement designed to control truck entry onto the road. However, truck operators complain that the process is cumbersome and slow, forcing many to park along the highway while awaiting clearance. This practice, residents say, has only worsened congestion and increased the risk of accidents.
Infrastructure analysts warn that the congestion, if not swiftly addressed, could stifle Lagos’ economic momentum in the Epe-Lekki corridor — an area meant to represent Nigeria’s new frontier for industrial growth.
“The Lekki-Epe axis hosts key projects like the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port,” said transport analyst Bamidele Ogundele. “But the road network has not expanded in line with the industrial growth. Without immediate intervention, businesses and communities here will suffer long-term setbacks.”
To address the challenge, experts and residents are calling for urgent infrastructural expansion, including the creation of dedicated truck lanes, alternative access routes, and the construction of large-capacity truck parks to prevent roadside parking.
Truck unions, however, have expressed dissatisfaction over the ₦12,500 e-call-up fee, saying it adds financial pressure without corresponding improvements in traffic management or infrastructure.
While the Dangote Refinery remains a monumental stride in Nigeria’s industrial development, residents say the benefits are being overshadowed by poor logistics coordination and weak road infrastructure.
For now, the Lekki-Epe Expressway stands as both a symbol of progress and a point of pain — a corridor where the promise of economic transformation is being tested by the realities of inadequate transport planning.
If urgent action is not taken, locals fear that the road could soon become a choke point for Lagos’ economic growth, strangling businesses and frustrating the very development it was meant to support.
