The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have pledged to intensify their collaboration to ease persistent congestion on roads leading to the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
The agreement was reached during a strategic meeting at the NPA headquarters in Lagos, attended by the authority’s Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and ANLCA’s National President, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji.
In a statement from the NPA’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Ikechukwu Onyemekara and made available to journalist the initiative aims to improve the ease of doing business and accelerate cargo evacuation, .
During the meeting, Dr. Dantsoho praised the progress made at the ports, noting that both Apapa and Tin Can Island were recently ranked among the World Bank’s top 20 most improved ports globally.
He attributed this milestone to ongoing reforms under the federal government’s "Renewed Hope Agenda" and Nigeria’s rising influence in international maritime bodies, including the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA).
"This global recognition is not accidental; it is the direct result of our strategic and intentional mapping of port processes and our relentless pursuit of excellence," Dr. Dantsoho said.
A key focus of the discussions was the Electronic Call-Up System, known as ''Eto'', which manages truck movements in and out of the ports. While the system was credited with initial success, Dr. Dantsoho acknowledged that rising trade volumes now demand a more robust framework to permanently eliminate gridlock.
"Lagos remains a vital commercial hub for West Africa. To sustain this status, we must aggressively pursue port modernization," he added, highlighting that aging infrastructure requires urgent upgrades to meet international standards and increase national revenue.
Chief Nwokeoji welcomed the recent global rankings and reaffirmed ANLCA's support for policies that facilitate trade. However, he urged the NPA to grant the association a more direct role in the management and oversight of the "Eto" system.
He argued that the active participation of licensed customs brokers would provide essential checks and balances to stamp out racketeering and artificial delays on port access routes.
In response, the ANLCA pledged to partner with the NPA, the Nigeria Police Force, and other stakeholders to establish a coordinated task force aimed at monitoring truck movements and addressing disruptions along the corridors.
As part of the renewed cooperation, Chief Nwokeoji formally invited Dr. Dantsoho to the ANLCA’s 72nd-anniversary celebrations, which are set to take place later this year.
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