Market News

By Anozie Egole

The Secretary-General of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Mohamed Bala, has declared a vote of confidence in the electronic call-up system introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority to tackle gridlock on the Apapa and Tincan Port Access Roads.

In a statement, Sani-Bala commended the platform after a peaceful rally in Apapa. He applauded the NPA for the initiative, stressing that it has brought sanity to the port access roads.

According to him, the e-call-up system is “not just an app but a game-changer and a landmark achievement in the history of Nigeria’s maritime logistics.”

He emphasised that the impact of eliminating gridlock and improving traffic flow along logistics corridors has made import and export cargoes evacuated seamlessly.

“On behalf of the trucking community, we wish to use this peaceful rally as a platform to express our profound gratitude to the management of NPA for the deployment of the Eto Call-Up System, and to also appreciate the Lagos State Government for its vital role in enforcing compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures that underpin the system,” he said.

He added that the Eto-call-up system is more than just an app, adding that it is a game-changer and a landmark achievement in the history of Nigeria’s maritime logistics.

Sani-Bala mentioned that the platform ushered in a new era of automation, transparency, and efficiency in port access and truck scheduling, resolving the long-standing chaos and gridlock that plagued the Apapa and Tin Can Island logistics corridors for decades.

“Today, truckers can book port access slots remotely and affordably, from anywhere in the world, without the need to physically queue for days on end or engage with road cabals for access tags that used to cost between N250,000 and N300,000, often without any certainty of progress. The Eto system, at a flat rate of N21,500, has eliminated the extortion and exploitation that defined the manual era,” he said.

Sani-Bala said the port corridors are now more fluid, the environment is more hospitable, with a rising value of properties.

“Gridlock has eased, and sanity has returned to our roads, and truckers no longer sleep in vehicles or die behind the wheel from exhaustion. Port corridors are now more fluid, and the environment is more hospitable. Import and export cargoes are evacuated seamlessly, while businesses now operate on schedule. Apapa, once a ghost town, is vibrant again, with rising property values and restored community life, Sani-Bala stressed.

The AMATO scribe took a swipe at the recent campaign of calumny against the call-up system, saying their interest lies in reversing the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation.

“We are aware that some individuals are sponsoring a campaign of calumny against the platform. Let it be known that these detractors are largely beneficiaries of the discredited manual system now rendered irrelevant by automation. Their interest lies in reversing the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation,” he said.

He highlighted that it’s ironic, and frankly shameful, “that those who once charged N250,000–N300,000 for truck entry now accuse the N21,500 Eto system of being fraudulent. If they truly had truckers’ interests at heart, they would have implemented a fair and transparent system during their time.”

Sani-Bala urged all members of the trucking community to remain vigilant, adding that the platform has come to stay, “and we must resist all attempts to undermine the progress it represents.”

He reiterated that the manual call-up system is dead and buried, and any nostalgia for that era must give way to the reality of sustainable, tech-driven port logistics.

“We say kudos to the NPA, the Lagos State Government, and TTP for bringing sanity back to our roads and ports,” he said.

Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of Maritime Truck Drivers Association, Afeez Alabi, rejected attempts to undermine the electronic call-up system, warning that any return to the chaotic old order of port access would cripple operations at the port axis.

He said the digital system has brought transparency and order to truck movement in and out of the ports, exposing irregularities and significantly reducing traffic congestion.

Alabi acknowledged that while the system was initially introduced at a modest fee of N10,250, a black market has since emerged where call-up slots are resold for between N120,000 and N130,000, a sign of entrenched corruption that the truckers want eliminated.