The Lagos State Government is strengthening enforcement along the Apapa and Lekki port corridors to improve compliance with the E-Call-Up system for articulated trucks. This decision follows a review of traffic conditions and feedback on the existing enforcement process, which identified gaps that require a revised approach.
Enforcement Strategy
The new strategy will involve additional traffic management personnel and continuous enforcement on both corridors. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the Ministry of Transportation would deploy additional personnel to the Lekki Port corridor to strengthen compliance and improve the movement of articulated trucks.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olawale Musa, said the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would operate a shift system to ensure officers remain available on both corridors at all times. The state also warned operators of illegal truck parks around the ports to comply with its operational guidelines.
E-Call-Up System
The E-Call-Up system is designed to regulate the movement, entry, and parking of heavy-duty trucks and tankers around major port and industrial corridors. Rather than allowing trucks to queue directly on roads leading to the ports, the system schedules their movement through designated parks and access points.
More than 28,000 trucks and about 11,000 transport operators had registered under the Lekki-Epe E-Call-Up system by May 2026. The system covers truck movement associated with major economic facilities along the corridor, including Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and the Lekki Free Zone.
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Impact on Industrial Growth
The Apapa and Lekki corridors are increasingly important to Lagos’ logistics and industrial economy. Persistent congestion along these routes can increase delivery times, vehicle operating costs, and the cost of moving goods between ports, warehouses, factories, and markets. Improving truck movement could therefore support more predictable logistics operations for businesses that depend on the ports.
For the property market, this is particularly relevant because logistics efficiency can influence demand for warehouses, distribution centers, industrial estates, and other commercial property close to major transport corridors. The Lekki-Epe axis has developed into a major investment corridor, with port, refinery, free-zone, and other industrial activities expanding the area’s economic base.
As these facilities attract businesses and workers, demand can extend beyond industrial property to residential developments, retail centers, hospitality, and supporting services. However, the benefits of infrastructure-led growth can be weakened when road congestion becomes severe. Better management of heavy-duty truck movements could therefore support the functioning of the corridor and help reduce some of the transport constraints associated with its rapid economic expansion.
Sustained Coordination
The Lagos Government’s decision to strengthen E-Call-Up enforcement reflects the continuing challenge of managing heavy-duty traffic around the state’s major ports. Greater compliance could improve movement along the Apapa and Lekki corridors, but sustained results will depend on consistent enforcement and adequate infrastructure for trucks outside the main road network.
For the property and logistics sectors, a more efficient port-access system could support the continued development of Lagos’ industrial and commercial corridors, particularly around Lekki. The immediate objective remains traffic management, but the longer-term implications extend to the cost of doing business, logistics investment, and the development of property around Lagos’ major economic gateways.
