Jama Onwubariri, Managing Director of Trucks Transit Parks, said the company makes $1.7 million annual savings for Maritime Industry with Étó electronic call-system as at against its lost ₦2.5 trillion annually due to inefficiencies before the introduction of the tech system in 2021.

 

The managing director who was speaking to Newsmen on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Lilypond Container Terminal in Lagos, said, the maritime and logistics industry is the backbone of commerce in Nigeria, given that 90% of the items we need daily rely on imports delivered through its ports.

 

He said: “Every single day, about 2,000 trucks move through Lagos ports and industrial corridors to pick up and drop off consumer and export cargo. But for over a decade leading up to 2021, he stressed, this critical artery of trade has been clogged by problems of; Perennial congestion on the access roads, Inefficient cargo evacuation, Safety lapses, bad roads and substandard trucks, Racketeering and middlemen distorting pricing and processes, Human interference in what should be seamless, technology-driven operations.

 

He said these inefficiencies come at a heavy price.”They increase turnaround time for trucks and cargo, inflate logistic costs, and ultimately hike the prices consumers pay for essential goods.”

 

“It was against this backdrop that Trucks Transit Parks (TTP) introduced the Ètò electronic call-up system in 2021. Our vision was simple: to transparently combine innovative technology, infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration to solve a problem that had become almost “normalised.”

He stated that the company through Étó has changed the narrative, “Port roads, once infamous for unending gridlock, are now more orderly and predictable. Access to the ports is no longer based on who you know or how rugged your boys are, but on a pre-set, transparent, technology-enabled process.”

 

“Over 3 million truck trips successfully scheduled through Ètò since inception, “Drastic reduction in gridlock and improved truck and cargo turnaround time, Enhanced compliance with Minimum Safety Standards for trucks, Introduction of smarter payment platforms to improve the ease of payments for bookings, Ongoing partnerships with the Nigerian Ports Authority, terminal operators, security agencies, unions, and associations to sustain progress, Continuous upgrades to the Ètò platform—closing loopholes, tightening controls, and enhancing user experience.”

 

He said, this is not just about technology, it is about restoring confidence in the possibility that its ports can be efficient and compete favourably with others in the region.

 

“When the then Governor-Elect, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, called in March 2019 to ask about how our company can solve the Apapa traffic situation, it was difficult to see into the future transformation that this initiative would go on to have on Nigeria’s port efficiency, maritime operations improvement and quality of life for Apapa and Tincan residential and commercial stakeholders. The decisiveness of the Lagos State Government and the vision of the Nigerian Ports Authority management have been invaluable,” he recalled.

 

TTP boss said the company is ready to collaborate with ECOWAS and support regional governments in deploying technology that will make seamless intra-African trade not just a vision, but a reality.

 

According to him, “Nigeria is not just the giant, but also the heartbeat of Africa. We have a local proverb: “Use your place to know my place”. A global iteration of this proverb, as it applies to Africa, is that when Nigeria coughs, Africa catches a cold. If you want to check if something is in Africa, just come to Nigeria.

 

Recently, I had the privilege of embarking on a strategic trip across the ECOWAS subregion. What I experienced was both sobering and inspiring. From Lagos to Ouagadougou, Abidjan, Monrovia, and other West African routes, the story is similar: heavy reliance on trucking, coupled with bottlenecks at borders, tolls, and highway corridors.

 

The traffic management platform TTP has built in Nigeria is not just a national solution. Ètò is a model that would be scaled regionally. Imagine if every ECOWAS country operated a harmonised port truck scheduling, rest stop, and electronic tolling system that supports the multiple currencies used in the region—how much faster goods would move, how much cheaper trade would become, and how much closer we would be to realising the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”

He is also looking at deepening Efficiency at Nigerian Ports – through continuous technology and infrastructure upgrades, smarter data use, and stronger enforcement collaboration, Expanding its Technology Footprint – with E-tags, RFID, and AI-driven compliance systems that will improve traffic control, security, and safety standards ans Driving Regional Integration – positioning TTP as a trusted partner to West African governments in harmonising logistics for AfCFTA.

 

He said the initiative is part of their threefold focus, “This roadmap is ambitious, but it is necessary if Nigeria is to remain competitive and if West Africa is to unlock its full trade potential. We will achieve it!.”