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The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle persistent congestion on the Apapa and Tin Can Island port access corridors, improve cargo evacuation and enhance ease of doing business.
The agreement was reached during a strategic engagement at the NPA headquarters in Marina, Lagos, between the Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho, and ANLCA’s national leadership led by President Emenike Nwokeoji.
According to the NPA General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, both sides committed to deeper collaboration aimed at improving port efficiency and reducing logistics bottlenecks along Nigeria’s busiest maritime corridors.
Dantsoho commended the management of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports for ongoing reforms, noting that recent recognition of the ports among the World Bank’s top 20 most improved globally reflects sustained operational improvements aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He added that Nigeria’s growing influence in global maritime governance, including leadership roles in the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), underscores its reform trajectory.
A key focus of the engagement was the Electronic Call-Up system (Eto), designed to regulate truck movement into and out of the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. While acknowledging its initial success in reducing gridlock, Dantsoho said rising cargo volumes now require a stronger, more scalable framework.
“Lagos remains a critical commercial hub for West Africa. To sustain this position, we must accelerate port modernization. Much of our infrastructure is aging and needs urgent upgrade to improve efficiency and boost national revenue,” he said.
ANLCA President, Emenike Nwokeoji, congratulated the NPA on the global ranking and reaffirmed the association’s support for trade facilitation reforms. He also called for direct involvement of licensed customs agents in the management of the Eto system to improve transparency and reduce delays.
According to him, such participation would strengthen oversight, curb racketeering and eliminate artificial bottlenecks along port access roads.
ANLCA further pledged collaboration with the NPA, the Nigeria Police Force and other stakeholders through a joint task force to monitor truck movements and respond to disruptions in real time.
The association also invited the NPA leadership to its 72nd anniversary celebration later this year, as both institutions deepen cooperation to improve port operations and logistics efficiency in Lagos.
