The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has sounded the alarm over alleged racketeering in the sale of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) Electronic Truck Call-Up (ETO) tickets, which are reportedly being sold on the black market for as much as ₦300,000. The association is urging the NPA to urgently convene a stakeholders’ meeting to address growing concerns over accessibility, corruption, and inefficiencies threatening Nigeria’s port logistics system”.
The leadership of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has expressed deep concern over the prolonged delay in the much-anticipated stakeholders’ engagement with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, to address the escalating challenges surrounding the Electronic Truck Call-Up System (ETO).
In a statement released on Friday, the National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, alleged that the ETO call-up tickets originally intended to streamline truck movement around Nigeria’s ports are now being sold by black market operators for as high as ₦300,000.
According to him, the ETO platform, introduced by the NPA as part of the federal government’s Ease of Doing Business and Trade Facilitation initiatives, was designed to eliminate the notorious gridlock around the nation’s ports, improve transparency, and enhance efficiency in port logistics.
“Unfortunately, recent developments have revealed that the system is now plagued by severe accessibility challenges”, he stated.
The association said it has received numerous complaints from freight forwarders, truck operators, and logistics service providers who report that legitimate access to the ETO platform has become increasingly difficult.
Ogunojemite lamented that APFFLON’s earlier request for a stakeholders’ engagement meeting with the NPA Managing Director to address these challenges has not been honoured, allowing the problem to persist.
“This delay has allowed the problem to fester, further frustrating industry players and tarnishing Nigeria’s image as a business-friendly maritime hub”, he said.
The logistics expert warned that the current situation poses a serious threat to the Ease of Doing Business policy and the broader objectives of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), adding that the black-market manipulation of ETO access undermines the principles of accountability and efficiency that the NPA and federal government have pledged to uphold.
APFFLON therefore made the following demands:
1. Immediate convening of the postponed stakeholders’ meeting with the NPA Managing Director to address ETO inaccessibility and abuse.
2. Comprehensive audit and review of the ETO system to identify loopholes exploited by unauthorised operators.
3. Establishment of a transparent and user-friendly process to restore confidence in the ETO platform.
4. Collaboration with key stakeholders including freight forwarders, truck owners, and regulatory agencies to ensure full alignment of ETO operations with global trade facilitation standards.
Reaffirming the association’s commitment to supporting the NPA, Ogunojemite urged the Authority to treat the matter with urgency.
“APFFLON remains ready to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria’s port operations reflect efficiency, transparency, and integrity which are the core values vital to the nation’s international trade competitiveness”, he concluded.