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The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has applauded the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Truck Transit Parks Ltd (TTP) for their role in significantly reducing gridlock along Apapa and Tin Can port corridors, describing their efforts as a major boost to trade facilitation and national economic growth.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, NAGAFF President, High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, said the association’s routine performance assessment revealed a marked transformation in traffic flow since the introduction of the TTP-managed Eto digital traffic management system.
Ezisi recalled the chaotic pre-Eto era when gridlock crippled business activities, forced companies to relocate from Apapa, caused real estate values to crash, and resulted in huge revenue losses for both federal and state governments despite several failed decongestion task forces.
“Thanks to the ingenuity of the NPA and the former Ministry of Transportation, a strategic decision was made to engage TTP. In less than two years, the once intractable gridlock started to ease, and port operators breathed a sigh of relief,” Ezisi said.
According to NAGAFF’s Cargo Watch findings, TTP has processed about 2.7 million port-bound and non-port-bound truck movements over the past 49 months. This, Ezisi said, has led to a 65% reduction in cargo haulage costs and a dramatic improvement in truck turnaround time from 2–3 weeks to less than three days.
The NAGAFF President also highlighted the surge in cargo evacuation capacity at Lagos ports.
“Whereas fewer than 50 trucks were evacuated daily in the pre-Eto era, over 400 trucks per day can now be evacuated, particularly benefitting FMCG and oil & gas operators,” he noted.
He added that export logistics have also improved, with delays drastically reduced and overseas buyers no longer demanding performance bonds from Nigerian exporters. Containers from the hinterlands now arrive at the ports in a more predictable and timely manner.
Beyond trade facilitation, Ezisi said the reform has boosted Apapa’s real estate market and created over 225 direct jobs and more than 500 ancillary roles in the port environment, providing much-needed economic empowerment for local communities.
While commending NPA, TTP, and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the achievements, NAGAFF urged government to consolidate these gains by ensuring consistent monitoring, sustained investment, and strong political will to maintain set standards.
“Nigeria must not return to the days of endless gridlock and economic losses,” Ezisi stressed. “TTP has proven that indigenous solutions can address complex logistical challenges. Government and stakeholders must encourage and support them to deliver even better results.”
