By David Oladimeji
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has hailed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Truck Transit Parks Ltd (TTP) for their efforts in easing gridlock and improving traffic management around Lagos ports.
Speaking at a press briefing held on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Rockview Hotels, Apapa, NAGAFF President, High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, praised the two organizations for introducing reforms that have brought visible relief to businesses and stakeholders.
The event, which attracted members of the press and industry players, was dedicated to assessing the effectiveness of traffic management reforms in Apapa and Tin Can Island, Nigeria’s busiest port corridors.
Ezisi noted that the association has a tradition of periodically reviewing the performance of service providers in the transport and logistics sector. He said the latest review clearly shows that significant improvements have been achieved in recent years.
The freight forwarders’ leader recalled the “dark days” before the introduction of the Eto electronic call-up system, when endless gridlocks paralyzed activities in Apapa and Tin Can.
“Businesses suffered terribly, many companies were forced to close, and the Nigerian economy paid a heavy price,” Ezisi said.
He explained that despite several attempts by both federal and state governments to resolve the problem, traffic congestion remained persistent until the intervention of the NPA and the then Ministry of Transportation.
The turning point, according to him, came with the engagement of TTP Ltd to deploy a digital traffic management system that revolutionized truck movement into and out of the ports.
Within two years of deployment, the system began to produce tangible results. Long queues of trucks that once stretched for kilometers started to disappear, while port operators reported greater efficiency in cargo handling.
NAGAFF’s Cargo Watch team, which monitored the situation closely, confirmed that truck turnaround time at the ports has reduced drastically from weeks to days.
“Before Eto, trucks spent two to three weeks waiting for access. Today, the average turnaround is less than three days,” Ezisi revealed.
The association further disclosed that statistics from TTP Ltd show that more than 2.7 million truck movements have been processed through the Eto platform in less than four years.
According to Ezisi, this digital breakthrough has not only decongested the ports but also slashed the cost of cargo transportation by about 65 percent.
The ripple effect, he added, has been immense. The FMCG and Oil & Gas sectors, for example, now evacuate over 400 trucks daily compared to fewer than 50 in the pre-Eto era.
Exporters, too, are reaping the benefits. Delays in moving goods to international markets have been drastically reduced, and foreign buyers no longer demand performance bonds from Nigerian exporters.
The improved system has also boosted investor confidence in Apapa’s real estate market, with property values appreciating in recent years.
Beyond economic gains, the Eto initiative has created direct and indirect jobs. Research by NAGAFF suggests about 225 direct jobs and over 500 ancillary roles have been generated in the port environment.
Ezisi emphasized that this progress must not be taken for granted. He urged government authorities to muster the political will to sustain the reforms and prevent a relapse into the chaos of the past.
He concluded by commending NPA, TTP, and other stakeholders in the Marine and Blue Economy sector for proving that indigenous solutions can address Nigeria’s long-standing logistics challenges.
“This achievement is a milestone, and it deserves our collective support,” Ezisi declared. “We must continue to build on this success and ensure the gains are not eroded.”
