Truck owners in Lagos, Nigeria are facing increasing challenges in the trucking business due to the illegal tolls collected by security operators and extortion by "agberos" or miscreants at checkpoints along the Apapa and Tin-can Island port corridors. Despite the Federal Government's efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business and implement an electronic call-up system called 'Eto' for port-bound trucks, truckers like Itunu Shonibare find themselves compelled to pay money to security officials and miscreants at over 15 checkpoints from Fagbemi to Tin-Can Port.
Shonibare highlighted the various checkpoints where truckers are forced to pay fees, such as Fagbemi (N2,000), Mile 2 Bridge (N4,000 with an additional N2,000 to the police), Auto Wharf (N2,000), UBA (N2,000), Kirikiri Bridge (N2,000), IRS (N2,000), MTN (N2,000), Sunrise (N2,000), Westminster (N2,000), Trinity (N2,000), Coconut (N2,000), and checkpoints on Coconut Bridge (N2,000). These checkpoints continue all the way to the Tin-Can Island Port. Export containers face tolls exceeding N30,000 across these checkpoints, contributing to the high costs of imported and exported goods in Nigeria.
The burden of illegal tolls extends beyond truck owners like Shonibare, as businesses relying on imports for critical production inputs are also experiencing significant financial strain due to these tolls both on roads and within the port environment. Segun Ajayi-Kadiri, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, affirmed the problem, noting that importing a 40-foot container from Singapore to Apapa costs nearly the same as transporting it from Apapa to Agbara, despite the latter being a significantly shorter distance. Clearance procedures at the port can take weeks to complete, adding further delays and costs.
Osaretin Victor Asemota, who conducted a logistics study on the Accra, Lome, Cotonou, and Lagos corridor, expressed his findings on Twitter. He observed that the cost of importing and exporting goods in Nigeria is higher compared to neighboring countries, making international shipping a more attractive option for merchants. Asemota emphasized that Nigeria must address these issues to make progress, as the current consumption-based approach without a focus on production has negatively impacted the economy and currency.
Investigations along the Apapa Port corridor revealed that truckers are still being subjected to illegal fees at checkpoints, including Total Bridge, Ijora-Olopa, Iganmu, Sifax, and Area B, despite having valid electronic call-up tickets. Haulage operators have lodged complaints about the necessity to pay these fees for access to and from the port. Although the Port Standing Task Team's "Operation Clear the Port Corridor" has reduced delays when cargo leaves the port, challenges persist with cargo going to the port, including exports, empties, and empty trucks.
