Nigeria must fix port infrastructure to unlock Eto’s full potential – Onwubuariri

Jama Onwubuariri, managing director/co-founder of Trucks Transit Parks (TTP), has stated that Nigeria’s efforts to modernise logistics and ease persistent congestion around its ports through technology could be limited by inadequate infrastructure.

Onwubuariri in a recent statement seen by BusinessDay said Ètò (which means arrangement or order in Yoruba), had brought greater predictability to port truck movement, helping to reduce turnaround times from weeks to days and subsequently to less than two days in some operations.

However, he said further improvement cannot come from Ètò alone, noting that it would require improvements in terminal operations, cargo documentation, port infrastructure, road conditions and cargo-release processes.

Before Ètò, truck movement was largely fragmented, with long queues, significant human interference and uncertainty for transporters and cargo owners.

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Previously, trucks could spend days or weeks waiting because there was no reliable mechanism for coordinating when they should proceed to the port. Ètò introduced that predictability, moving turnaround from weeks to days and, subsequently, to less than two days in some operations.

“Our objective was to move from a manual environment to a technology-enabled, first-come-first-served system where truck movements could be planned, scheduled and monitored,” Onwubuariri said.

He said that technology cannot substitute for inadequate or poorly maintained port roads, bridges, drainage, noting that traffic corridors must be treated as critical economic infrastructure.

He also said that greater coordination among government agencies and private-sector stakeholders involved in cargo clearance is needed, as delays in documentation, terminal processes, Customs procedures and cargo release affect the entire supply chain.

“Further improvements in truck movement will require the government to address the physical and operational bottlenecks surrounding the ports. The first is infrastructure,” Onwubuariri said.

While Ètò has brought greater predictability, Onwubuariri said poor roads, limited infrastructure and delays across the cargo-clearance chain must be addressed for the gains to translate into a truly efficient port system.

Onwubuariri said that while Ètò provides the digital layer, bringing structure, visibility, scheduling and control to truck movement, the wider physical ecosystem must be capable of supporting that efficiency.

“Consistent enforcement is equally important, alongside investment in terminal capacity, truck holding facilities, road networks and alternative access routes.

“Further improvement is technically possible, but it cannot come from Ètò alone. It requires improvements in terminal operations, cargo documentation, port infrastructure, road conditions and cargo-release processes. Our ambition is to make unnecessary waiting time approach zero,” he said.

According to Onwubuariri, Nigeria has made significant progress in digitalising parts of the port ecosystem, particularly truck access through Ètò but the country still lags in the physical layer, road infrastructure, berth depth and dredging, power reliability, and the number of separate agencies a truck or shipment must satisfy.

He said these are areas that continued infrastructure investment and the National Single Window need to address.

“TTP wants to build solutions that can be deployed across African markets and help governments and businesses manage mobility at scale. That’s the future we see for TPP, innovating mobility and transforming economies,” Onwubuariri said.

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