By Mike Abbah
The Lagos State Government has yielded to pressure from stakeholders to suspend the controversial Electronic Call-Up System at the Lekki-Epe axis of the state.
The stakeholders that pressured the state government against the system are the Petroleum tankers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and truckers under the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
In a statement on Tuesday by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, the State government said it is suspending the E-Call-Up to allow NUPENG, IPMAN and NARTO to have further engagement with their members.
According to the statement, “Rising from the meeting which was held at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State, the Ministry yielded to the request of the Union leaders, ( NUPENG, IPMAN, NARTO and PTD) to suspend enforcement of the e-call-up system to allow them further engagement with their members.
“The union leaders promised to ensure parking compliance by their members while the engagement meetings are on-going, whilst the Ministry will enforce the E-Call-Up in the event of violation of the promise.
“All parties agreed with the importance of the e-call up system as the best solution for managing truck movement along Lekki-Epe highway.
“The Meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olawale Musa and Leaders of the NUPENG, IPMAN, NARTO, and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a branch of NUPENG.”
DAILY QUERY recalls that the Lagos State Government had announced that full enforcement of the electronic call-up (e-call-up) system would commence on March 1, 2025.
The technology-driven system was developed over two years in response to anticipated high truck traffic in the Lekki-Epe corridor due to the operations of the Lekki Deep Seaport, Lekki Free Zone, Dangote Refinery, and other major industries.
The initiative aims to streamline logistics, prevent indiscriminate parking, and enhance operational efficiency.
According to the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation, Bolanle Ogunlola, the state government had given truck operators adequate time to integrate into the system.
