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Sanity returning to Apapa-Lagos as electronic call-up system begins

Published

4 years ago

February 28, 2021

Sanity is finally returning to Apapa-Lagos area, where Nigeria’s largest and most thriving ports are located, which was brought to its knees by protracted gridlock.

The gridlock seemed to have defiled several solutions as it had persisted and frustrated many business activities, some of which were forced to relocate out of the area. Many residents have had to abandon their homes too.

The gridlock began to disappear on Saturday following the commencement of the electronic call-up system introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority.

Apapa had in the past several years defied effort to solve its traffic problem; the efforts, including a presidential task team, were blighted by corruption, THISDAY reported.

However, normalcy returned to Apapa following the removal of trucks that littered the port access roads – Apapa Oshodi Express Way and Western Avenue leading to Ijora.

When THISDAY visited both ends of the port access roads yesterday, officials of the Lagos State government and NPA taskforce teams were seen with tow vehicles well positioned to remove erring trucks.

This is the first time that electronic call-up would be deployed to direct truck movement into ports in Lagos.

This automated process, known as Eto App, is expected to permanently restore sanity within the Apapa port corridor by removing the daily traffic congestion, if properly managed.

Meanwhile, port users, operators and Apapa residents were elated by the development. They called on NPA to ensure that the effort was sustained.

A resident, Mr Chukwuma Vincent, said, “If you have been to Apapa in the past you will know what I am talking about. Our businesses went down, property lost value and people were dying.

“We call on NPA to sustain this. I drove through to my house for the first time in many years and I cried. I thought we had no government in Nigeria again. This is worth celebrating and I can only hope it lasts.”

Importers, clearing agents and truck owners also expressed optimism as the electronic call-up system began yesterday. They called for a functional holding bay by shipping companies for return of empty containers.

The NPA had late last year announced the launch of Eto, an Electronic Truck call-up system designed for the management of truck movement and access to and from the Lagos Ports Complex and the Tin Can Island Ports, Apapa, Lagos. The authority said all trucks doing business at the ports would be required to park at the approved truck parks until they were called up into the port through the Eto app. NPA explained that the Eto app will be responsible for the scheduling, entry and exit of all trucks from the ports with effect from February 27. It also stated that about 7,000 trucks had been certified fit for the digitalised call up system, revealing that effective February 27, trucks must approach the ports from a holding bay or truck parks with a bar code to access the ports.

Stakeholders were optimistic that the electronic call-up system would end corruption in the port access management system.

Vice Chairman, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Dry Cargo section, Alhaji Abdullahi Inuwa, said the call-up system would end artificial bottlenecks on the port access roads. However, National Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, said unless the port access roads were fixed it might not yet be uhuru.

Inuwa said, “I call on all stakeholders to cooperate and allow it work. If that happens, then we will get good result. Actually, if it takes off successfully, it will eradicate corruption, no human contact and other artificial bottleneck. NARTO wishes the authority a successful take-off.

“The motive is to take trucks off the roads, but NPA should involve other garages where trucks are parked in order to successfully decongest the roads.”

Farinto urged the NPA management to be steadfast in enforcing the call-up system. He said the on-going construction of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway must also be completed in good time because there cannot be an effective call-up system without a good road.

“The road should be put in adequate place because there is nothing the call-up can achieve without a proper port access road, ” he said.

Farinto, a former chairman, Tin-Can Island chapter of ANLCA, said shipping companies must be compelled to have functional holding bay for return of empty containers.

According to him, “Shipping companies should put up a holding bay for empty containers because without an efficient holding bay, is there a way the policy can be achieved?

“NPA should also decisively take over the system and prevent the security agencies from hijacking it. They must totally remove human contact but how to achieve that I still don’t know because Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) will still be generated manually.

“Also, there is nothing on ground to show that it will be electronic. Human contact must be completely eliminated because what is happening on the port access roads is an eyesore that is giving stakeholders sleepless nights.”

Related Topics:Apapa port e-call-up Featured NPA

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NADDC DG hails Kojo Motors for establishing CNG conversion centre in Owerri

Published

8 hours ago

March 21, 2025

Trends Admin

NADDC DG hails Kojo Motors for establishing CNG conversion centre in Owerri

Kojo Motors has partnered the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in setting up the vehicle Compressed Natural Gas conversion centre in Owerri, lmo State.

Director-General of the NADDC, Joseph Osanipin, during an empowerment and awareness summit on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, commended the auto firm for the monumental project.

“Today, we are gathered here for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Empowerment and Awareness Summit 2025 with the theme ‘Building a youth-based nation through cleaner energy’,” he said.

Osanipin said that the the purpose of the summit was to create awareness and sensitize the public to safety, standards and regulation in the use of the CNG as a better alternative source of energy for mobility.

NADDC, he said, was equipping technicians with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to safely and efficiently convert vehicles to run on CNG.

“The Council is a parastatal of the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,” he added.

“It has the regulatory oversight on the Nigerian Automotive Industry to initiate, recommend, supervise and regulate policies and programmes for locally manufactured vehicles and components in Nigeria.

The NADDC boss noted that the Council had worked tirelessly to ensure the survival and growth of this sector with a view to enhancing its contribution to the national economy.

As part of the CNG conversion programme, 60 technicians will be receiving hands-on training in converting vehicles to run on CNG which would run for five days from the March 17 to 21,2025.

Osanipin emphasized the importance of using certified conversion kits and specialized workshops to ensure safety during the process.

“The cylinders used in CNG vehicles are fortified, making them safer than traditional vehicle fuel tanks,” he said.

Also speaking during the event, Professor Anoka Njan, representative of the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, praised the NADDC and Kojo Motors efforts, stating that the ministry fully supported the initiative as part of broader efforts to alleviate challenges in the auto industry and empower the youth.

Imo State Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Emeka Mandela Ukaegbu, who spoke at the summit on behalf of Governor Hope Uzodinma, emphasised the immense potential of the CNG in easing Nigeria’s transportation challenges and improving the economy.

“CNG offers a safer, cleaner, and cheaper alternative to the hardships many face in the country,” Dr. Madela said.

The administration is partnering with NADDC and automotive industry bodies to establish conversion workshops and CNG refilling stations across Imo State, ensuring that the state plays a key role in this important shift toward greener energy solutions.

The event marks a significant step in NADDC’s ongoing efforts to transform Nigeria’s automotive industry, making it more sustainable while creating new opportunities for skilled technicians and local communities.

Chinedu Oguegbu, Managing Director of OMAA, which is the vehicle brand promoting the petrol-powered to CNG conversion project, highlighted the economic benefits of running vehicles on CNG instead of petrol.

He listed the economic advantages to include savings up to 60 percent in the cost of fuel relative to dirtier options like diesel and petrol.

According to him, there is up to 90 percent reduction in knocks and carbon emission, and it is found to be healthier, cleaner and more environmentally friendly.

Besides savings in foreign exchange (FX) with abundance of gas locally, there is also massive resources in-country over 203 tcf of proven reserves that requires no refining and relatively lower investment for processing.

Nigeria has an estimated 15-20 million vehicles in operation that can be converted to dual-fuel or bi-fuel.

The OMAA boss reiterated the crucial need to provide an alternative to existing fuel system with the abundance of CNG as an option.

Delivering his goodwill message, Chino Ogwumike, the National Sales Manager at Kojo Motors, thanked the DG of NADDC for partnering with Kojo in this laudable project in Owerri, the heartland of the South-East of Nigeria and the government of Imo State for accepting to provide the land for building the CNG hub in the state capital.

Ogwumike stated that the flourishing automotive dealership with branches spread across the country under the visionary leadership of the founder and Executive Chairman, Ikenna Oguegbu, is strongly committed to contributing its quota towards the progress and development of Nigeria’s automotive sector and the economy.

Business

Binance delists five cryptocurrencies

Published

9 hours ago

March 21, 2025

Trends Admin

Binance delists five cryptocurrencies

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has announced the delisting of five digital assets after a routine review of their adherence to industry standards.

According to a statement released by Binance, the affected cryptocurrencies include Aergo (AERGO), AirSwap (AST), BurgerCities (BURGER), COMBO (COMBO), and Linear Finance (LINA).

The decision was based on several key factors, including trading volume, security, liquidity, the commitment of project teams, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Key delisting details and user guidelines

Binance provided additional clarity on how the delisting process will impact its users:

Binance Futures: Positions for AERGO, LINA, and COMBO will be automatically closed and settled by March 27, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. UTC.
Binance Simple Earn & Investment Products: The affected tokens will no longer be available across these services after March 27, 2025.
Binance Convert & Trading Bots: Support for the delisted tokens will cease by March 28, 2025.

Binance also mentioned that in some instances, delisted tokens might be converted into stablecoins on behalf of users after delivery. However, the exchange clarified that this would only apply if explicitly announced.

Looking ahead, Binance revealed plans to launch a Vote to Delist feature, enabling the public to suggest assets for delisting in the future. However, the tokens mentioned in this announcement will not be eligible for the feature.

Binance delists five cryptocurrencies

Business

Air Peace slashes Nigeria-London fare by N600,000

Published

2 days ago

March 20, 2025

Trends Admin

Air Peace slashes Nigeria-London fare by N600,000

Air Peace has announced a ₦600,000 reduction in its Nigeria-London airfare for all travelers flying from Nigeria.

In a statement released on Wednesday in Lagos, the airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo, stated that the discount is part of Air Peace’s latest promo offer.

Passengers departing from any Nigerian city to London can enjoy significant savings, along with an exclusive one-free extra luggage allowance.