Truckers say e-call up ended years of port access extortion

Truckers operating around the Apapa and Tin Can ports say the electronic call-up system introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has helped them escape years of extortion tied to gaining access to the ports.

Speaking after rally in Apapa, Mohamed Sani, the secretary general of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), described the Eto Call-Up System as a major shift from the exploitation truckers faced in the past.

“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 ₦250,000 and ₦300,000, often without any certainty of progress,” he said.

“The Eto system, at a flat rate of ₦21,500, has eliminated the extortion and exploitation that defined the manual era.”

The Eto system, introduced by the NPA in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and powered by technology firm TTP, digitises the process of port access scheduling for trucks, an attempt to bring order to years of chaos on port corridors.

Describing it as a “game-changer and a landmark achievement,” Sani-Bala said the initiative has not only improved traffic flow and reduced gridlock, but also created a more predictable environment for port logistics.

“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,” he said.

He noted that the difference has been clear for those who actually use the roads and engage with the ports.

“Gridlock has eased, and sanity has returned to our roads and truckers no longer sleep in vehicles or die behind the wheel from exhaustion.”

In his remarks, he also condemned what he described as a “campaign of calumny” against the system by those who profited from the disorder.

“Their interest lies in reversing the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation.”