TTP partners ECOWAS for seamless Intra-African trade

By Henry Uche

A transportation infrastructure and technology company, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd (TTP) has affirmed readiness to collaborate with ECOWAS and other support regional governments to deploy technology that would make seamless intra-African trade not only a vision, but a reality.

At a press briefing in Lagos, the  Managing Director of TTP, Mr. Jama Onwubuariri, who made this known, said the company has achieved visible feats since the introduction of Ètò electronic call-up system in 2021.

According to him, the vision was to transparently combine innovative technology, infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration to solve  problems of perennial congestion on the access roads, inefficient cargo evacuation, safety lapses, bad roads and substandard trucks, racketeering and middlemen distorting pricing and processes, human interference in what should be seamless, and all has been fixed through technology-driven solution.

“Ètò has changed the narrative. Port roads, once infamous for unending gridlock are now more orderly and predictable. Access to the ports is no longer based on who you know or how rugged your boys are, but on a pre-set, transparent, technology-enabled process. Our achievements speak loudly. Over 3 million truck trips successfully scheduled through Ètò since inception. There is drastic reduction in gridlock and improved truck and cargo turnaround time.

With the inefficiencies that come at a heavy price, increased turnaround time for trucks and cargo, inflated logistic costs, and ultimately hike in the prices of consumers goods, he assured that there is enhanced compliance with minimum safety standards for trucks, introduction of smarter payment platforms that has improved the ease of payments for bookings, and there is an ongoing partnerships with the Nigerian Ports Authority, terminal operators, security agencies, unions, and associations to sustain progress.

Onwubuariri reiterated that there is a continuous upgrades to the Ètò platform— closing loopholes, tightening controls, and enhancing user experience. He noted “This is not just about technology, it is about restoring confidence in the possibility that our ports can be efficient and compete favourably with others in the region. The maritime and logistics industry is the backbone of commerce in Nigeria. Every single day, about 2,000 trucks move through our Lagos ports and industrial corridors to pick up and drop off consumer and export cargo.

“On embarking on a strategic trip across the ECOWAS subregion, my experience was both sobering and inspiring. From Lagos to Ouagadougou, Abidjan, Monrovia, and other West African routes, the story is similar: heavy reliance on trucking, coupled with bottlenecks at borders, tolls, and highway corridors.

“The traffic management platform TTP has built in Nigeria is not just a national solution. Ètò is a model that would be scaled regionally. Imagine if every ECOWAS countries operated a harmonised port truck scheduling, rest stop, and electronic tolling system that supports the multiple currencies used in the region—how much faster goods would move, how much cheaper trade would become, and how much closer we would be to realising the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”.

He added that TTP is focused on deepening efficiency at Nigerian Ports – through continuous technology and infrastructure upgrades, smarter data use, and stronger enforcement collaboration.

“We are expanding our technology footprint – with E-tags, RFID, and AI-driven compliance systems that will improve traffic control, security, and safety standards. We are driving regional integration – positioning TTP as a trusted partner to West African governments in harmonising logistics for AfCFTA. This roadmap is ambitious, but it is necessary if Nigeria is to remain competitive and if West Africa is to unlock its full trade potential. We will achieve it! We must remember that if the ports work, Nigeria works, and when Nigeria works, Africa prospers” he stressed.