Stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime and logistics sector are sharply divided over the continued use of the electronic call-up system introduced to manage truck movement in and out of the Apapa and Tin Can ports in Lagos.
While some groups, including members of the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) and the National Association of Maritime Transport Operators (NAMTOP), have taken to the streets in protest, demanding the system’s removal, others argue that the opposition is being driven by individuals with vested interests in restoring the old corrupt practices.
During the protests, the disgruntled groups described the e-call-up platform as a “failed and fraudulent” system, alleging that extortion by security personnel and officials has continued along the port corridors. They claimed that the current structure has crippled their businesses, while access to the ports has been allegedly hijacked by foreign trucking firms and some elements of the Nigerian military.
According to the protesters, the call-up system, which was meant to reduce congestion and corruption, has done little to address those issues and instead deepened the struggle for local transporters trying to survive under worsening economic conditions. They are calling for a transparent overhaul and complete removal of the digital system to restore what they call “order and fairness” at the ports.
However, other players in the maritime space are countering this position. Some truckers allege that the protests are being championed by individuals who previously benefited from the chaotic manual regime, where unregulated truck entry and bribes of up to N300,000 were the norm for accessing port gates, especially through Military Road.
Mr. Mohammed Sani, the Secretary General of the Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee (LASTCOC), described the calls to scrap the system as a deliberate move to bring back an era of racketeering and exploitation.
“Those complaining want us to go back to when there was no order,” Sani stated. “On Military Road, people were collecting between N200,000 and N300,000 from truckers just to access the port. Now that the system is digital, they are no longer making that money, and they want to spoil the new process.”
The electronic call-up system, known as ETO, was introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in partnership with Truck Transit Parks Ltd (TTP) to tackle traffic congestion on Apapa’s access roads and automate the scheduling of truck entry into the ports.
Sani maintained that automation remains the cornerstone of ongoing reforms in the port logistics chain, and returning to manual operations is not an option.
“Manual call-up has been buried; we cannot go back,” he said.
Amid the rising tension, other key industry stakeholders are calling for improvements—not cancellation—of the system. The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) declared its support for the digital call-up platform, distancing itself from any protest or demand for its removal.
Speaking on behalf of APFFLON, Mr. Clinton Ikechukwu Okoro, the Public Relations Officer of the Tin Can Island Chapter, said freight forwarders are engaging in productive dialogue with the NPA and other relevant bodies to upgrade and fine-tune the system rather than dismantle it.
“We are the ones doing the work and not part of any protest. We’re working with stakeholders to include key data points like Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) numbers and truck details for better transparency,” Okoro said.
He noted that part of the proposed reforms is to give freight forwarders the authority to initiate truck applications, which will then be verified and approved by the NPA before being processed by the transport taskforce.
“This will help stop racketeering, where one person buys up all the access slots and then sells them at high prices. We are working to make things easier and cheaper for everyone involved in the process,” he said.
As stakeholder meetings continue, experts warn that any sabotage of the automation process could derail progress made in cargo evacuation, road decongestion, and trade facilitation at Nigeria’s busiest ports.
Calls have gone out to the NPA, terminal operators, customs, and security agencies to ensure that any issues within the electronic call-up system are addressed through inclusive reform and technology upgrades, not regression.
