NPA Deploys Electronic Barriers To Curb Lagos Port Diversions

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has installed Electronic Barrier Systems (EBS) at all terminals in the Lagos port complex in a move aimed at stamping out unauthorised truck diversions, improving gate control and boosting operational efficiency, the Authority said.
Managing director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, said this in a statement by the general manager, Corporate Communication and Strategy, Mr Okechukwu Onyemekara, in Lagos.
It added, “The Electronic Barriers have been fully integrated with the Eto Electronic Call-Up System, managed by MESSR Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP),” he stated.
Dantsoho said the integration guaranteed that only trucks with valid Eto-issued call-up tickets would be granted access to terminal facilities, thereby eliminating unauthorised entries and enhancing gate control operations.
NPA said the barriers went live across all Lagos Port Complex terminals on September 1. The systems are linked directly to the Eto electronic call-up platform, the scheduling and ticketing app introduced in 2021 to regulate truck movements and reduce gridlock so only trucks with valid, pre-issued call-up tickets are permitted entry to terminal facilities.
Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, speaking through the NPA communications office, framed the rollout as a major step toward automating port gate functions and strengthening transparency. The Authority said the EBS integration will tighten access control, reduce illegal entries and diversions that have long undermined throughput, and improve coordination between terminal operators, truckers and port management.
The NPA said the deployment supports the federal government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda by delivering more accountable, predictable port oper-ations and thanked stakeholders who engaged in consultations that shaped the system’s implementation.
For years the Mile 2–Tin Can–Apapa corridor was notorious for gridlock that disrupted port operations and slowed the movement of goods. Past interventions by Lagos State and the NPA delivered incremental relief but failed to eliminate illegal truck diversions and unscheduled entries that degrade productivity.
The Eto call-up platform, introduced in the first quarter of 2021, was designed to compel trucks to park at approved holding bays and enter terminals only when scheduled through the app. While Eto improved scheduling and reduced dwell times for some trucks, cases of unauthorised diversions and illegal terminal access persisted. The EBS provides a physical enforcement layer tied to the digital ticketing system, closing loopholes that allowed trucks without valid tickets to enter terminals.

Port users said the practical effect should be fewer unexpected arrivals, improved gate turnaround and better traffic flow off the port grid — benefits that, if sustained, would reduce demurrage and improve cargo predictability for importers and exporters.

NPA signalled this is the first phase of further automation and infrastructure upgrades planned to modernise Lagos ports and position them as a more efficient maritime logistics hub for West Africa. The authority said it will continue monitoring system performance and engage stakeholders to fine-tune operations.