Businesses operating in the Amuwo Odofin Industrial Estate, Lagos, and motorists using the major road linking the estate to Ijesha are facing fresh hardship as trailers laden with Maersk containers have taken over the roads and adjoining streets.
The trailers, which are waiting to load or offload containers at Unity Bonded Terminal, have reportedly blocked major access routes in the industrial estate, making it increasingly difficult for business owners, workers, customers and motorists to reach their destinations.
The situation has compounded the already deplorable condition of the roads in the area, which businesses have described as almost impassable. Some portions of the roads are riddled with deep potholes, craters and gullies, yet companies and workers continue to operate in the area despite the difficult conditions.
Findings by The Sun revealed that the latest crisis is largely linked to the limited capacity of Unity Bonded Terminal, which serves as a holding bay for Maersk containers in the area.
With the terminal unable to accommodate all the containers coming in, trucks are reportedly forced to park on the major roads and adjoining streets while waiting to gain access to the terminal.
Some truck drivers told The Sun that they often spend several days on the road waiting to either load or offload their containers.
One of the drivers, Olumide, who spoke on July 21, 2026, said he had spent three days on the road waiting to offload his container because there was no space inside the terminal. Another driver, Abubakar, said empty trucks waiting to return containers to the port also contributed to the congestion, as they sometimes remained on the road longer than expected.
Chidi, a light truck driver, who moves goods from Festac to Ijesha, said, before he was making about four or more trips every day, but these days, he has opted for another route, which is very far from the short Amuwo Odofin industrial estate way, and so, hardly makes more than two trips a day.
The development has also become a major source of frustration for business owners in the estate.
The Chief Executive Officer of Seamap Company, Chief Oge Obi, said the situation had made it almost impossible for him and other business owners to access their offices.
According to Obi, the problem could be resolved if Maersk appointed additional bonded terminals to serve as holding bays for its containers.
He said, “Within this area, it is only Unity Bonded Terminal that serves as their holding bay, and the terminal cannot accommodate all their containers. Once the place is full, trailers carrying containers block the major road in the estate and the adjoining streets.
“For over two months now, I have hardly been able to go to my office. The same applies to other people who have businesses here. You can set out for the office and, on getting close, you will be told that there is no road and that the best thing is to turn back home.
“We are paying taxes; we are paying ground rent and we are paying salaries. Is this how we are expected to continue doing business in this difficult economy? It is frustrating, and everybody is tired of this chaos.
“If you go around the area, most of the containers you see belong to Maersk. You hardly see containers belonging to other shipping companies.”
Obi said business owners had repeatedly suggested that Maersk should appoint another bonded terminal so that containers could be distributed between different holding bays.
He, however, alleged that the shipping company might not have been aware of the problem their containers are causing in the estate.
He said, “In order to solve this problem and ensure that people can access their offices, we have told Maersk to appoint another bonded terminal as an additional holding bay. If that is done, the trailers currently parked on the major roads and streets will be cleared.
“If you go around the whole area, people are finding it difficult to get to their offices.”
According to him, the situation had already begun to affect businesses financially, with some companies unable to operate effectively because of the lack of access.
“We are now calling for a meeting of all the companies in the area to find a lasting solution to the problem. The owner of Sims Company hardly goes to his warehouse anymore because there is no accessibility to the place. The same thing is happening to several other businesses.
“In two months, I have only been to my office about five times. Even yesterday, as I was coming to the office, I received a call telling me to turn back because there was no access to my premises.
“I had an appointment with someone in my office for a business transaction, but the person could not come because of the road. He later told me that he had given the business to someone else because there was no access to my premises. I lost that business simply because there was no road.”
Obi also expressed concern that Maersk might not be fully aware of the extent of the problem, arguing that the terminal operator was in the best position to communicate the situation to the shipping company.
He said, “If I go to Maersk to complain, they may not listen to me because I don’t have any business relationship with them. Unity is the one they have a direct business relationship with, so they are the ones who can effectively communicate the problem to them.”
He further alleged that the use of only one holding bay could be contributing to the crisis, saying the arrangement was creating serious hardship for businesses and other road users in the area.
Obi also expressed disappointment with the response of relevant Lagos State Government officials, alleging that little had been done to address the worsening situation.
He said the affected businesses were planning to convene a stakeholders’ meeting involving the companies in the estate, terminal operators, the shipping company, truck operators and relevant government agencies.
“We are going to call for a meeting of all stakeholders. The chairman of Sims is not around at the moment; we are waiting for him to return so that everybody can be part of the meeting,” he said.
The affected businesses are now appealing for urgent intervention to decongest the roads, improve accessibility to the industrial estate and prevent further disruption to commercial activities.
When our reporter visited Maersk Shipping Company Corporate Office, at 1216 Bishop Oluwole, Victoria Island, on Wednesday, August 28, 2026.
He was directed to Funsho, who was also attending to their customers who came with shipping complaints.
He said Maersk has many bays holding its containers, and if there is any obstruction of traffic by trailers carrying the containers, it is the duty of the holding bay and traffic management agency to handle and not “our company. The holding bays are our vendors. We shouldn’t be the ones controlling traffic in their areas of operation.”
