Lagos Tanker Drivers Boycott Over N12,500 E-Call Up Levy

Tanker drivers in Lagos State have announced a boycott of loading petroleum products, citing the high cost of the E-Call Up system’s levy. The levy, set at N12,500 per truck, is deemed unaffordable by the drivers, who are advocating for a reduced fee of N2,500 per truck. This boycott comes as the Lagos State Government plans to enforce the E-Call Up system along the Lekki-Epe Corridor, aiming to regulate the movement of articulated vehicles and tankers to ease traffic and prevent gridlocks similar to those previously experienced in the Apapa area.

The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has been in negotiations with the Lagos State Government to lower the levy. NARTO President Yusuf Othman stated that the association is still in talks with the government, emphasizing that the N12,500 levy is too high and that they had initially recommended a fee of N2,500 per truck. Othman warned that if an amicable resolution is not reached, the drivers will refuse to load petroleum products starting from the next day.

In addition to the boycott threat, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has also expressed concerns about the enforcement of the E-Call Up system. AMATO Chairman Chief Remi Ogungbemi warned that the system should not be used as a means of revenue generation but rather to ensure orderliness and ease the cost of doing business within the corridor. Ogungbemi suggested that the cost of the E-Call Up system should be borne by the industries being serviced by the trucks, such as the Lekki Port and Dangote Petrochemicals Refinery, rather than the truckers themselves.

Ogungbemi further noted that if the issue is not well managed by the Lagos State Government, it could lead to a withdrawal of services by truckers around the Lekki axis. This could potentially impact the operations of major facilities in the area, including the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep seaport and the $19 billion Dangote Petrochemicals Refinery. The congestion in the Lekki area, according to Ogungbemi, requires government intervention but should not be addressed by imposing additional costs on truckers or petroleum tanker drivers.

The Lagos State Government has defended the implementation of the E-Call Up system, citing the increasing volume of articulated trucks along the Lekki-Epe corridor. The Ministry of Transportation revealed that between 360 and 400 trucks currently ply the corridor daily, with projections showing that the number could increase significantly once operations at facilities like the Dangote Refinery reach full capacity. The government emphasized that the N12,500 levy is not going into government funds but is meant to recover the finances spent on the facility built to avert gridlocks and environmental pollution. The system was built by a private investor, and the government urged drivers to obey rules and regulations to prevent the Lekki-Epe axis from turning into the old Apapa road.