Shippers Council approves tariff increase for shipping lines
…set to probe TTP’s ETO Call-Up charges
The Nigerian Shippers Council has approved a marginal increase in tariffs for shipping lines.
This is as the regulator also revealed plans to probe the controversial ETO electronic call-up charges levied by Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP) for trucks entering Lagos ports.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting recently, the Council’s Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Pius Akutah, said the tariff increase, which was sanctioned by the Council as the port’s economic regulator, reflects adjustments tied to inflation and other cost pressures faced by shipping companies in Nigeria.
However, detailed figures of the specific tariff adjustments were not disclosed during the session.
Despite the tariff approval, port users have loudly criticised the ETO call-up ticket system operated by TTP in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which requires truckers to secure electronic “call-up” slots before accessing terminal gates.
The Council acknowledged receiving numerous complaints about what stakeholders describe as arbitrary and escalating charges for the tickets, which many say are worsening congestion and increasing logistics costs around the port.
Dr. Akutah revealed that the Council has commenced engagements with TTP and the NPA to address these concerns, noting that while TTP attended earlier discussions, the NPA was absent.
He assured stakeholders that a formal review of the ETO call-up charges will be concluded by the end of January 2026.
The Council has also requested truckers, transport unions, and freight operators submit evidence of specific charges in order to ground the review in verified data rather than rumours.
The ETO call-up system was introduced to manage truck flow and reduce gate congestion at terminals, but critics say the cost of call-up tickets, initially set at around ₦10,000 has ballooned beyond that amount, sometimes involving informal levies that drivers attribute to syndicates operating at port gates.
The Shippers Council’s review is expected to explore these dynamics and ensure greater transparency and fairness in the system.
In addition to the tariff and TTP issues, Dr. Akutah touched on broader reforms, including ongoing discussions with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to replace container deposits with container insurance, as stipulated under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
He said these reforms aim to clamp down on illegitimate practices that add to the cost of doing business in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The Council’s actions come amid wider stakeholder unrest over port charges and operations, with industry players urging regulators and operators to improve efficiency while balancing cost pressures in a challenging economic environment.
Meanwhile, maritime stakeholders has criticised the commercialisation of the ETO electronic call-up system, insisting that it was introduced solely as a solution to traffic congestion and operational challenges at the nation’s ports, not as a profit-making venture.
A truck owner, Mr Collins said the continued treatment of ETO as an enterprise has encouraged the introduction of additional charges, including what was described as “virtual parks,” forcing port users to pay for services that should ordinarily be part of port management responsibilities.
According to him, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should take full responsibility for fixing structural and operational problems at the ports instead of outsourcing the system and allowing it to be run as a business.
“ETO is not supposed to be run as an enterprise. It is a solution to a problem we have in the port. The focus is not profit maximisation but solving a problem. Until this mindset changes, we will continue to have these issues,” the stakeholder said.
He stressed that ETO should be managed strictly as a regulatory and traffic-control tool, warning that commercial interests would continue to undermine its effectiveness if profit remains the driving force.
The stakeholder also questioned the conduct of shipping lines in relation to container blocking, alleging inconsistencies in their dealings with security agencies.
“Shipping lines say they do not provide the maritime police with money, yet they respond to letters and proceed to block containers. That is a contradiction that needs to be explained,” he said.
The comments come amid growing concerns by port users over rising charges, container delays and allegations of arbitrary container blocking at Lagos ports, with many stakeholders calling for stronger oversight by the NPA to restore efficiency, transparency and fairness in port operations.