Lagos govt, marketers’ dispute threatens fuel distribution nationwide

There is an imminent disruption in fuel supply following the failure of petroleum marketers and truck owners to lift products at Dangote Refinery and Lekki Seaport, Daily Trust can report.

This is in protest against the Lagos State government’s enforcement of N12,500 e-call-up levy on trucks operating along the Lekki-Epe corridor.

Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration, withdrawing haulage and fuel trucks from the corridor in rejection of what they describe as an “Exploitative, ill-timed, and burdensome” policy.

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Our correspondent reports that the boycott had halted tanker movement from the corridor, raising serious concerns about fuel distribution in Lagos and other parts of the country.

Daily Trust reports that the Lekki-Epe corridor plays a strategic role in supplying petroleum products, particularly with the presence of the massive Dangote Refinery and associated facilities.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Government had introduced the Electronic Call Up System to manage traffic in the corridor. However, they are being required to pay N12,500 per truck.

 Why the e-call up

Daily Trust reports that the e-call up uses an app called Eto, through which truckers are expected to book turns to access the ports following its introduction in Apapa ports.

The system has become imperative on the Lekk-Epe corridor following the increased truck and trailer movement after the kick-up of Lekki Deep Seaport, the Dangote Petrochemical Refineries, among other commercial activities on the Lekki Free Trade Zone corridor.

The State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi recently stated that the move is driven by the urgent need to implement a sustainable, effective and technology-driven solution of truck movement in the Lekki-Epe Corridor.

He further disclosed that the application of e-call up system will help synchronize movement of trucks assessing the Lekki Deep Seaport and other industries within the corridor, starting from Eleko junction to Lekki Free Trade Zone, highlighting the State and Federal Government plans on road network expansion and inter-modal transport systems to streamline vehicular traffic and enhancing free movement in one of Lagos’ most critical economic zones.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, who is saddled with the enforcement of the e-call up system of the corridor also explained that an interim arrangement is being put in place to decongest the roads through evacuation of all illegal tankers from the red zone by a joint TASKFORCE of the State, LGAs/LCDAs, Security Agencies and Stakeholders.

Giwa urged truck operators and logistics companies to comply with the new system to ensure its success.

“The Lekki-Epe corridor, a key economic hub in Lagos, is home to numerous industries, including the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery, and the Lekki Deep Sea Port. The efficient movement of goods and services in this area is crucial for the state’s economy, making the e-call up system an essential tool for sustainable development,” the government had said.

Fuel disruption imminent – Marketers

However, the truck drivers and marketers are protesting over the N12,500 levy per truck for the e-call up system.

According to the protesters, the e-call-up levy—part of a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative—is being enforced without adequate infrastructure or stakeholders’ input.

They said the policy does not address any actual traffic congestion, which government officials have cited as the primary reason for its implementation.

Immediate past Chairman of IPMAN in the South-West, Dele Tajudeen, said all efforts to reach a compromise with the government were rebuffed.

“We have had several meetings, but the government has remained adamant,” Tajudeen said. “There is no gridlock along the corridor. So why this levy? This policy is not about solving a traffic problem—it’s about enriching private interests under the pretense of public benefit.”

“We already pay N7,000 at the toll gate. Now, an additional N12,500 is being demanded. That’s N19,500 before we even load fuel. And this money, we hear, is going to a private account—not government. This is not sustainable.”

Daily Trust reports that the president of the Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) had directed members to halt loading on that corridor over the N12,500 e-call-up fee.

The association in a memo by its President, Yusuf Lawal Othman, said the state government ignored its plea to review the fee down to N2,500 to reflect the economic realities.

However, Gbenga Olubasusi, Chairman of NARTO at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, said, “Trailer tyres now cost over N700,000, and trucks that used to cost N4.5 million now go for over N40 million. We are already managing so much inflation. This new levy will drive up fuel prices and everything else.”

Olubasusi also condemned the absence of basic facilities for truckers in the area. “There is no government trailer park here. We use private parks and pay between N3,000 and N5,000 daily. Now they want to charge us an additional N12,500 with nothing to show in return?”

Also, Lagos State NARTO Chairman, Kayode Odunowo, said the industry cannot absorb the additional costs.

“We are totally against this charge. We cooperated in Apapa years ago with similar promises from the government, but they failed to deliver. This time, we won’t play along.”

IPMAN warns of hike in fuel price

Also speaking, National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike explained that the rising logistics costs would inevitably be passed on to consumers, possibly triggering a fuel price hike and destabilising supply across the state.

He said, “The imposed amount is exorbitant and unbearable for marketers. It will inevitably lead to an increase in the pump price of petrol.”

Ukadike noted that stakeholders, including truck operators and marketers, had agreed at a recent meeting that the fee should be returned to N2,500 to maintain industry stability.

As of yesterday, tanker activities along the corridor remain suspended, and the state government has yet to issue an official response to the protest.

How we agreed on N12,500 – LASG

A spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, in a chat with Daily Trust said the N12,500 was agreed upon after due consultation with the stakeholders.

According to her, all the stakeholders duly agreed on the need to introduce the call-up system to prevent a recurrence of the Apapa gridlock.

She said, “We have been engaging with them in the last two years. There has been conversation around it and there have been series of stakeholders meeting to explain the reason we needed to put up that e-call-up system. Everybody aligns with the fact that it is very necessary for the e-call up to take up.

“The disagreement is about the fees. After series of negotiation, we reached that N12,500. Initially we planned N20,000.”

She explained that it is the tankers and truck owners that are complaining, saying those who have dry cargoes are not complaining.

She added that there are other businesses on that Lekki-Epe corridor even as it is also a residential area, adding that the residents and other businesses must be protected.

Ogunlola stated that with the facilities put in place for the e-call up system, the N12,500 is not too much.