“I personally drove my car to Apapa on Thursday, in the past, it would be impossible, the traffic was light and movement was easy, this is ETO working”.
By Uzor Odigbo
President of Advocacy for Maritime Development Association Oluwasegun Alabi has extolled the efficiency of the ETO system on businesses and Apapa gridlock.
Speaking during a round table discussion organised by AMJON, Alabi said the introduction of ETO has reduced the Apapa gridlock which had stifled the economy of Lagos and the entire country.
“Nigeria Ports Authority has done well by introducing the ETO system which had helped in regulating traffic in Apapa. I personally drove my car to Apapa on Thursday, in the past, it would be impossible, what should be the concern is sustenability of the electronic system,” he said.
He revealed that the cost of freighting goods from Apapa to Ikeja has drastically reduced and this was because of the efficient implementation of the ETO system, he said.
He noted that his mission for establishing his Advocacy Association was to further improve the industry for the good of stakeholders.
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“I’m also a strong ANLCA member and a trucker too with a disguised record, I formed the association to actualise standard, improve functional methods of doing business in the industry,” he said.
Alabi who addresses various issues affecting the Maritime sector insisted that policies guiding the efficient running of the Ports must be sustainable.
According to him, freighters have to understand their limits .
“Nigerian laws have to be amended such that foreigners won’t have undue advantage over their Nigerian counterparts,” he said.
He insisted clearly that legislations on the ownership and operation of freight forwarding companies must be instituted.
“As it is, foreigners have upper hands in port businesses in Nigeria and this must change not by talking but in changing certain policies through legislations that would empower the locals.
Again, That was why we had to establish the Advocacy for Maritime Development Association whose membership would grow with time.”