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Jama Onwubuariri is the Managing Director/Co-Founder of Trucks Transit Parks (TTP), a technology-driven logistics company in the maritime and industrial corridors.
In this interview, he speaks on the programme Eto set up for ports decongestion in Nigeria and lessons Nigerian ports can learn from effective ports around the world
Ètò has been credited with helping to tackle the longstanding truck congestion around the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. What was the central problem you set out to solve when you conceived the system, and what were the biggest obstacles to its implementation?
The central problem was not simply the number of trucks on the roads; it was the absence of a predictable, transparent and coordinated system for managing access to the ports.
Before Ètò, truck movement was largely fragmented, with long queues, significant human interference and uncertainty for transporters and cargo owners. Our objective was to move from a manual environment to a technology-enabled, first-come-first-served system where truck movements could be planned, scheduled and monitored.
The biggest obstacle was resistance to change. Truckers feared being excluded from port access, while others were reluctant to relinquish long-standing influence over the process. There was also scepticism about whether technology could be reliably enforced and deliver the promised results.
TTP says Ètò has processed more than 3.38 million port and non-port-bound truck movements in 57 months. What does this figure tell you about the scale of the logistics challenge around Nigeria’s ports, and how has the system changed the way truck traffic is managed?
The figure demonstrates the scale and complexity of the logistics ecosystem. Millions of truck movements represent millions of potential points of congestion, delay and operational failure if they are not properly coordinated.
Ètò has shifted the approach from simply asking, “How do we clear the traffic?” to, “How do we plan and optimise the movement of every truck?” Through structured scheduling, access control, visibility and data, stakeholders can make decisions based on actual movements rather than assumptions.
The impact has continued to grow, with TTP having processed more than 3.8 million movements over 64 months and average port-access and evacuation turnaround reduced to less than two days.
You have reported that Ètò reduced truck turnaround time from two to three weeks to about three to four days. What were the key interventions responsible for this dramatic improvement, and what further reduction is technically possible?
The improvement came from several interventions working together: digital scheduling, controlled access, terminal integration, electronic verification, better coordination of truck parks and pregates, real-time visibility and reduced human intervention.
Previously, trucks could spend days or weeks waiting because there was no reliable mechanism for coordinating when they should proceed to the port. Ètò introduced that predictability, moving turnaround from weeks to days and, subsequently, to less than two days in some operations.
Further improvement is technically possible, but it cannot come from Ètò alone. It requires improvements in terminal operations, cargo documentation, port infrastructure, road conditions and cargo-release processes. Our ambition is to make unnecessary waiting time approach zero.
TTP also says the system has reduced cargo transportation costs to and from Lagos ports by more than 65 per cent. How exactly have these savings been achieved, and to what extent are they being reflected in the final cost of goods to Nigerian consumers?
The savings come primarily from eliminating the inefficiencies associated with prolonged truck waiting and unpredictable port access. When a truck spends two or three weeks waiting, fuel, driver time, maintenance, accommodation, demurrage and opportunity costs accumulate.
By reducing turnaround to days, improving truck utilisation and cutting informal costs and unnecessary journeys, haulage costs have fallen substantially. In 2025, costs on some movements reportedly fell from as high as about ₦1.4 million to roughly ₦350,000–₦500,000.
We cannot say every naira saved in logistics automatically translates into a lower retail price because consumer prices have many other drivers. But efficient logistics removes a high cost from the supply chain and improves the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.
Despite the progress made with Ètò, port access roads and truck congestion remain major concerns for importers, exporters, manufacturers and freight forwarders. What are the remaining bottlenecks outside TTP’s control that government must urgently address?
The first is infrastructure. Technology cannot substitute for inadequate or poorly maintained roads. Port access roads, bridges, drainage and traffic corridors must be treated as critical economic infrastructure.
We also need greater coordination among government agencies and private-sector stakeholders involved in cargo clearance. Delays in documentation, terminal processes, Customs procedures or cargo release affect the entire supply chain.
Consistent enforcement is equally important, alongside investment in terminal capacity, truck holding facilities, road networks and alternative access routes. Ètò provides the digital layer, bringing structure, visibility, scheduling and control to truck movement, but the wider physical ecosystem must be capable of supporting that efficiency.
There have been concerns in the past over transparency, preferential access and the allocation of truck slots under electronic call-up systems. How does Ètò guarantee fairness, transparency and equal access for truck operators, particularly small and independent transporters?
Fairness, transparency and equal access are fundamental to Ètò. Access is determined by defined standard operating procedures and verifiable data, not personal connections, influence or the ability to manipulate the process.
Booking, batching and scheduling are system-driven and automated, creating an auditable transaction trail and reducing opportunities for arbitrary allocation, preferential treatment and unnecessary human interference.
We have also deliberately designed the ecosystem to include independent transporters and smaller operators. A small transporter who meets the required standards should have the same opportunity to participate. Ultimately, access should be earned through compliance and verified requirements, not connections or influence.
Technology systems are increasingly becoming targets for cyberattacks and fraud. You mentioned the introduction of multi-factor authentication and booking-code randomisation. What other measures has TTP put in place to protect Ètò from cyber threats, manipulation and fraudulent bookings?
Cybersecurity is a core operational requirement for us. Beyond multi-factor authentication and booking-code randomisation, we use layered access controls, continuous monitoring, audit trails, validation mechanisms and transaction controls.
We also continuously review vulnerabilities and update security protocols as the threat landscape evolves. No single security mechanism is sufficient, so we use multiple layers of verification to make unauthorised access and manipulation significantly more difficult.
We are also strengthening vehicle and identity verification through technologies such as electronic tags, which can link a truck’s digital identity to its physical movement and reduce opportunities for impersonation, number-plate manipulation and fraudulent bookings.
TTP has integrated the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) system into Ètò. What was the rationale behind this integration, and how can technology help improve Nigeria’s export logistics and reduce the cost and delays associated with moving export cargo through the ports?
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The rationale is simple: exports should have the same level of digital coordination as imports. Integrating the CBN’s NXP system into Ètò closes a gap that previously required exporters to manually verify documentation and track export proceeds, often after cargo had already reached the gate. With the integration, verification happens upfront as part of the same digital process that sequences the truck.
This is particularly important for Nigeria’s non-oil export drive. Technology allows data to move ahead of the cargo, so that by the time a truck arrives, the necessary information is already settled rather than becoming another source of delay.
Ètò reportedly operates with zero system downtime. Given the enormous volume of transactions and the critical nature of port operations, how does TTP maintain system reliability, and what contingency arrangements are in place if the platform experiences a major disruption?
Reliability is fundamental because Ètò supports a critical part of the port ecosystem. Our architecture, infrastructure monitoring, system redundancy, data protection and operational support processes are designed around high availability.
We continuously monitor the platform so potential issues can be identified early, with technology and operations teams working together to escalate and resolve incidents quickly.
Resilience is also about recovery. We have continuity and recovery mechanisms designed to ensure that, even in the event of a major technical or external disruption, critical operations can be restored quickly and stakeholders are not left without visibility or support. TTP currently reports 100 per cent Ètò uptime since 2021.
TTP has expanded beyond traffic management into areas such as digital payments, road rehabilitation, barrier monitoring and ERP migration. Should TTP now be seen primarily as a technology company, a logistics company, or a broader port-community infrastructure provider?
TTP is fundamentally a technology company focused on Intelligent Mobility Infrastructure. We are not a trucking company. Our role is to develop technology, infrastructure and operating systems that make the movement of people, vehicles and cargo more efficient.
That is why our work extends into access control, terminal visibility, payments, traffic management, smart parking and other mobility infrastructure. The common thread is technology-enabled movement. Whether we are managing a truck entering a port, providing visibility or enabling a digital payment, we are solving mobility and infrastructure problems.
Nigeria is moving towards greater digitalisation of its ports, including the National Single Window and other port community systems. How should Ètò integrate with these emerging platforms to avoid duplication and create a seamless digital ecosystem for cargo movement?
The future should not be a collection of disconnected digital platforms. It should be an interoperable ecosystem where systems communicate, and stakeholders do not repeatedly provide the same information.
Ètò should complement, rather than compete with, national platforms such as the National Single Window. Our role is to provide the mobility layer—connecting cargo readiness, truck scheduling, access control, terminal operations and physical movement—while integrating with systems responsible for trade documentation, Customs, payments and other regulatory processes.
Interoperability, common data standards and secure APIs are critical. Done properly, an importer or exporter should experience one connected digital journey rather than multiple disconnected processes.
You have undertaken research visits to major ports and port cities in Dubai, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. What lessons did you bring back from those systems, and where do you believe Nigeria has made the most progress and where are we still lagging?
Each market demonstrated a different aspect of an efficient port ecosystem: Dubai showed the value of integrated planning; the US demonstrated appointment-based systems and strong terminal integration; the UK showed how port community systems can reduce friction through shared data; and Germany demonstrated the potential of real-time sensor data and stakeholder-wide information sharing.
The common lesson is that successful ports are ecosystems where infrastructure, policy, technology, people and processes work together. Predictability is at the centre.
Nigeria has made significant progress in digitalising parts of the port ecosystem, particularly truck access through Ètò. Where we still lag is in the physical layer—road infrastructure, berth depth and dredging, power reliability, and the number of separate agencies a truck or shipment must satisfy. These are areas that continued infrastructure investment and the National Single Window need to address.
TTP has created more than 225 direct jobs and over 500 indirect jobs. Beyond employment, what is the wider economic impact of efficient truck management on manufacturers, shipping lines, freight forwarders, terminal operators and the Nigerian economy?
Efficient truck management has a multiplier effect across the economy. For manufacturers, it means more predictable access to raw materials and faster evacuation of finished goods. For shipping lines and terminal operators, it means better equipment utilisation and more predictable cargo flows. For freight forwarders and transporters, it means better asset utilisation and fewer unproductive waiting hours.
It also enables businesses to plan inventory, warehousing and distribution more efficiently. At the macro level, efficient ports improve trade competitiveness while reducing losses from congestion, fuel wastage, vehicle downtime and unnecessary delays.
The real impact of Ètò therefore goes beyond the number of trucks processed; it is about improving the productivity of an entire economic corridor.
You are positioning Ètò for expansion across West African ports. Which countries or ports are currently the strongest candidates for expansion, and what lessons from the Nigerian experience would you apply differently when entering those markets?
West Africa presents a significant opportunity because many ports face similar challenges—growing cargo volumes, constrained infrastructure, truck congestion and fragmented processes. Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, for example, have major commercial ports serving their economies and neighbouring markets.
We have also been laying the groundwork through our subsidiary, West African Truck Terminals (WATT), and markets where we have established relationships are the strongest candidates.
The biggest lesson from Nigeria is that technology must be developed with the ecosystem, not simply deployed into it. We would prioritise research, regulatory and stakeholder alignment before deployment, build more market-specific configurations and partner with local operators where appropriate.
Looking ahead over the next five to 10 years, what is your vision for TTP and Ètò? Do you see the company evolving into a fully integrated African port logistics technology platform capable of managing not only trucks, but cargo, payments, documentation, terminals and other components of the port ecosystem?
Our vision is to build TTP into a leading African provider of Intelligent Mobility Infrastructure.
Ètò is an important part of that vision, but our ambition goes beyond port truck management. We are expanding into vehicle scheduling, e-tags and digital access control, while partnering with state governments to develop networks of modern transit hubs that can better organise commercial vehicle movement and connect mobility and logistics corridors.
Over time, we see these capabilities working together as an integrated mobility ecosystem, combining technology, data and physical infrastructure to move vehicles and cargo more predictably, efficiently and securely.
Ultimately, we want to build solutions that can be deployed across African markets and help governments and businesses manage mobility at scale. That is the future we see for TTP: innovating mobility and transforming economies.
