Freight forwarders demand ETO call-up review amid extortions in sea port

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has raised alarm over the growing extortion of the ETO Call-up System, which is structured to reduce congestion and operational inefficiencies in port areas, especially in Apapa port.

According to a letter signed by NAGAFF Secretary Godfrey Nwosu and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the association lamented several ills such as internal sabotage, several inefficiencies and manipulation of the ETO system, extortion by traffic officers, and endless waiting time at the pre-gates.

The freight forwarders mentioned the existence of a cartel whose stock-in-trade is to procure ETO call-up codes through several manipulations and hoard them to create artificial scarcity. It noted that this results in inflation in the cost of code to over N400,000, thereby raising the haulage cost to over N1 million for local delivery of cargoes.

Another effect, according to the association, is the renewed emergence of traffic issues that once affected port operations in Apapa before the system was introduced in February 2021.

“Every checkpoint from the pre-gates to the port gates has a huge amount that each trucker must pay before he is allowed to get to the next checkpoint. There are well-organised, corrupt syndicates among the traffic officers to ensure that their money is paid per truck. Failure to pay, the trucker immediately turned back. This mess happens only in Lagos Port Complex, it doesn’t occur at TinCan Port,” the association stressed.

Also in the letter, NAGAFF pointed out that the cartels manipulate access and security protocols by favouring truckers to flout traffic rules with impunity, especially at night. It added that while many truckers spend longer periods waiting to be called from the Pre-gates, some are given preferential treatment, where some truckers access the ports through one-way in the full glare of the security personnel.

While concerns were raised on inefficiencies relating to the ETO call-up system, the association praised the initial success of the digital traffic management system deployed in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which brought order to the chaotic port access roads, improving cargo movement and logistics efficiency.

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The group also called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to review the ETO’s structure and restore normalcy to the system’s activities. Also, it highlighted the urgent need for intervention in the platforms’ operation and the need to unmask the remote causes of low productivity and other corrupt activities at the NPA.

“A thorough investigation needs to be conducted to unravel the disgruntled traffic Officers, NPA, and Transit Truck Park (TTP) staff that may be complicit in the above-mentioned and observable clogs in the wheel of the progress of automated traffic management systems,” it added.

The ETO (Electronic Truck Operation) call-up system is a digital platform used to manage truck movements, particularly in and around port areas, to reduce congestion and improve efficiency. It schedules and coordinates truck entries and exits, preventing indiscriminate parking and movement that can lead to traffic chaos. The system is designed to streamline the process and reduce delays for truckers. 

Further concerns on the ETO call-up system 

The ETO call-up system, managed by Truck Transit Park Limited, was launched by the NPA on February 28, 2021, and deployed to regulate truck traffic at the Lagos ports. Under the system, trucks doing business at the ports would be required to park at designated truck parks and access the ports through the ETO app. Then, the system was described as a game–changer for the chaotic Apapa traffic.

While the initiative was introduced to reduce gridlocks, extortion, and other operational disruptions at the port, especially at the Lagos ports of Tin Can and Apapa, the model has now been reportedly hijacked by a powerful ticketing cartel.

The firm handling the Electronic Call-Up system for trucks at the Lagos Ports, Trucks Transit Parks (TTP) recently raised the alarm that some individuals, both outside and in government, who benefitted from the extortion of N300,000 and N250,000 from truckers along the port access roads before the implementation of ETO, are now fighting back to frustrate the system.

Reports noted that while the official cost of an ETO ticket on the system is N20,750, freight agents are now paying up to N400,000 due to black market dealings with trucks lined up at the port access roads waiting for access, thereby causing traffic.

In its effort to restore order, the joint arm of TTP, the Nigeria Customs Service, and licensed agents launched a coordinated crackdown on black market operators and ticket racketeers sabotaging the process. Also, TTP, in collaboration with the Apapa Customs Command and the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents (JALCA), launched a targeted training programme to sensitise key stakeholders on the workings of the e-call-up system.

While the efforts were structured to review the flaunted operational activities, the latest statement by the NAGAFF further underscores the alarming corrupt status of the port system and the urgent need to restore normalcy with the ETO Call-up System.