How over 5,000 workers lost jobs in Apapa, wharf

Over 5000 workers have lost their jobs in
the Apapa area of Lagos. This followed
the closure of over 50 companies
including banks and entertainment outfits
located in Apapa who depend on the
activities from the wharf.
On Wharf Road alone, Daily Sun counted
over 10 banks and two eateries that have
closed their branches because of the lull
in the ports.
Unity Bank which used to have four
branches, has two now and Ecobank with
eight branches has reduced to four.
Similarly, Access Bank with seven
branches also cut down to four
Eateries like Tetrazini and some
‘mamaput joints’ have been shut down,
while a popular Kingstone Joe – a fast
food company – that had two outlets at
Warehouse Road and Wharf Rood are
closed down.
Tantalizer with three outlets has been
reduced to one while the only Mr Biggs
eatery in Apapa on Creek Road is now out
of the market.
Major hotels like Rockview, Excelsior and
many others are groaning for lack of
patronage as most of their rooms are
empty. Chains of events that require
renting their halls no longer come with
faster frequency. A room rate which used
to be between N25,000 and N30,000 can
now be negotiated to between N8,000
and N10,000 because of the low
patronage.
Other businesses that collapsed on Burma
Road include, grocery shops, shipping
companies, haulage outfits, freight
forwarding firms, clubs and other
recreational outlets. It was gathered that
each of the outfits has between 20 and 50
staff while one of the biggest brothels
which harbours over 200 inmates in the
area has equally closed shop and the
inmates relocated to other parts of Lagos
where they can get ‘customers’.
The entertainment outfit, according to the
president of Association of Maritime
Journalists (AMJON), Mr. Ismaila Aniemu,
said that the brothel served as a
relaxation spot for sailors but since there
is no activity in the ports, the brothel lost
patronage and had to close shop.
Beside the bank and entertainment
workers that lost their jobs, some
ancillary businesses like the provision
stores and food vendors that supply the
low-end workers also ceased to be
active.
The popular Eleganza complex that used
to house over 1000 offices is virtually
empty because the tenants have relocated
or are out of business. The few tenants
who are still hanging on are owing
several months rentage. The complex
which used to be the centre of activities
is now a ghost of itself—empty, deserted
dilapidated.
The popular Nnewi Building where over
800 offices were located is now empty,
abandoned and lonely.
Generally speaking, property owners in
Apapa are all lamenting because nobody
occupies their property. Daily Sun
gathered that since this year, only five
ships had berthed in Apapa port, a
situation that now makes maritime
business unattractive and boring.
The situation is worsened by recent high
foreign exchange rate which is almost
N500 to a United States dollar from what
used to be about N160 to a dollar in
2015.
Daily Sun gathered that the high
exchange rate and the ban on 41 items
by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
contributed to the low activities in the
ports.
The 41 items include, rice, cement,
margarine, palm kernel/palm oil products/
vegetable oils, meat and processed meat
products, vegetables and processed
vegetable products, poultry chicken, eggs,
turkey, private airplanes/jets, indian
incense, tinned fish in sauce (Geisha)/
sardines, cold rolled steel sheets,
galvanized steel sheets, roofing sheets,
wheelbarrows, headpans, metal boxes and
containers, enamelware, steel drums, steel
pipes, wire rods (deformed and not
deformed), iron rods and reinforcing
barbedwire mesh, steel nails, security and
razor wine, wood particle boards and
panels; wood fibre boards and panels,
plywood boards and panels; wooden
doors, toothpicks, glass and glassware,
kitchen utensils, tableware, tiles-vitrified
and ceramic textiles, woven fabrics,
clothes, plastic and rubber products,
polypropylene granules, cellophane
wrappers, soap and cosmetics,
tomatoes/tomato pastes, eurobond/
foreign currency bond/ share purchases.
The CBN policy implies that, those who
import these items can no longer buy
foreign currency from the official window
to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather,
they will have to source forex from the
parallel market or Bureau De Change to
pay for their imports.
Most businesses in the area were heavily
dependent on the state of the ports in
Apapa Complex and Tin Can Island.
President General of Maritime Workers
Union of Nigeria, Comrade Tony Nted
Emmanuel, had announced in August that
the government policy has led to more
than 3000 dockworkers losing their jobs.
Investigations show that over 50 per cent
of these dockworkers are from Apapa
Port. The chains of food vendors and
other ancillary service providers who
hitherto enjoyed their patronage have
been shut down.