Trucks Transit Parks Ltd (TTP): Navigating Nigeria’s Maritime Logistics Landscape
Trucks Transit Parks Ltd (TTP), under the leadership of Jama Onwubuariri, has emerged as a key player in revolutionizing Nigeria’s maritime logistics sector. Despite the challenging economic climate, characterized by high inflation, fuel subsidy removal, and infrastructural deficiencies, TTP has flourished, leveraging its digital call-up system, Ètò, to streamline port operations. Since its inception in 2021, Ètò has facilitated over 2.6 million truck movements, significantly reducing truck turnaround times and enhancing efficiency. Remarkably, TTP has maintained its original pricing structure despite escalating operational costs, demonstrating a commitment to affordability and service accessibility. This resilience is attributed to its technological innovation, strong partnerships with regulatory agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and a relentless focus on operational efficiency.
TTP’s journey has been marked by various challenges, including longstanding infrastructural deficits, the prevalence of counterfeit documentation, resistance to digitalization by some stakeholders, and bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining approvals for technological advancements. The removal of fuel subsidies significantly impacted operating costs, yet spurred TTP to innovate further. Addressing the issue of fake access stickers, TTP collaborated with the NPA to implement a compliance directive mandating original Minimum Safety Standards stickers for all port-bound trucks. This measure, coupled with strict enforcement and collaboration with the NPA, has significantly curbed fraudulent access and improved port security. The company also proactively addressed delays and irregularities in the truck release process by temporarily halting releases from Lilypond pre-gate, allowing for a thorough audit, recalibration of protocols, and subsequent system upgrades, ensuring improved efficiency and security.
The year 2024 presented significant challenges for the maritime logistics sector, including infrastructural bottlenecks, regulatory changes, and the economic impact of subsidy removal. Despite these hurdles, TTP continued to drive digital adoption and collaborative problem-solving, contributing to a leaner, more transparent, and efficient sector. Looking ahead to 2025, TTP anticipates further integration of technology, streamlined operations, and enhanced transparency through collaborations with governmental and regulatory bodies. A key expectation is faster approval of innovative solutions, such as the proposed Radio Frequency Identification/ETags and EITN systems, designed to improve port access and minimize human interference. Delays in these approvals have unfortunately increased implementation costs significantly due to escalating material prices and reduced TTP’s financial capacity to solely fund this project which could have a highly positive impact on the ecosystem.
A major development in 2025 was the successful integration of the CBN’s Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) system with the Ètò platform. This integration mandates exporters to obtain an approved NXP number before booking export consignments, enhancing transparency and streamlining export operations. This collaboration between TTP, NPA, CBN, and other stakeholders demonstrates the commitment to modernizing and optimizing Nigeria’s export sector. In 2024 alone, the Ètò platform facilitated access for 584,247 trucks to Nigerian seaports, showcasing the system’s scalability and robustness in managing a critical logistics corridor.
TTP has actively addressed concerns about extortion and ticket falsification. The company emphasizes the impossibility of falsifying system-generated tickets. While acknowledging the existence of extortion within the port ecosystem, TTP maintains that its internal investigations have found no evidence of involvement by its staff. Measures such as uniquely numbered reflective jackets for field staff and a reporting feature within the Ètò system are in place to deter and address such occurrences. TTP clarifies that call-up tickets cannot be falsified due to their system-generated nature, yet it acknowledges instances of stolen tickets. Measures are in place to address this including publicizing how these stolen tickets are being utilized to gain access and what measures truckers and other users can take to prevent their tickets from being stolen. TTP also notes a significant reduction in extortion incidents, attributing this to the streamlined process and reduced reliance on informal payments.
TTP has implemented a robust multi-layered security framework, including real-time digital verification, encrypted data transmission, and continuous transaction monitoring. Collaborations with law enforcement agencies further strengthen these measures, ensuring the platform’s transparency and accountability. TTP attributes the significant reduction in extortion practices to the implementation of Ètò, which eliminated the need for informal payments and facilitated legitimate access to the ports. TTP reiterates its commitment to investigating any reported extortion incidents and emphasizes its zero-tolerance policy toward such practices.
In conclusion, TTP’s innovative approach, leveraging technology and strategic partnerships, has significantly contributed to improving Nigeria’s often complex port logistics. Despite enduring challenges, the company’s commitment to digitalization, transparency, and collaboration positions it as a driving force in the ongoing transformation of the nation’s maritime sector. Its continued efforts to address security concerns and promote efficiency are essential for enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the maritime logistics arena.
