The refusal of truckers to use designated parks provided by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, at Onne Port is creating operational difficulties and worsening cargo evacuation delays.
The situation is also causing tension within the host community, as truck drivers reportedly continue to park along roads instead of using designated facilities. Traffic Manager at Onne Port, Siraj Agbolade, disclosed this while speaking on the development.
According to him, four truck parks located within and around the port are currently being under-utilised despite their role in managing truck movements. Agbolade said some truck drivers instead prefer parking along roads and paying community youths for access.
The Traffic Manager explained that the parks were established as transition points where trucks are processed before being scheduled to enter the port.
He said access to the port for cargo evacuation and loading is coordinated through the Electronic Call-Up System. The arrangement is intended to regulate truck movements, reduce congestion and improve traffic management around the port.
Agbolade said stakeholders operating at Onne Port would meet during the week to examine the situation and consider possible solutions.
The dispute over truck parking comes amid growing concerns about the deteriorating condition of roads leading to the port.
Some transport unions and freight forwarders have threatened to withdraw their services if promised road rehabilitation does not begin. The development has raised fears that cargo movement and commercial activities along the Onne corridor could be disrupted.
Chairman of the Onne branch of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Ifeanyi Isikaku, warned that urgent action was needed to prevent the situation from escalating.
In a statement titled “The Brink: Onne Freight Forwarders, Transporters Threaten Shutdown Over Road, E-Call-Up Crisis,” Isikaku said stakeholders were increasingly concerned about the condition of the corridor. He said the combination of poor roads, indiscriminate truck parking and problems associated with the electronic call-up system was creating serious difficulties for businesses.
According to him, the Onne Port corridor remains an important route for moving cargo into and out of the Eastern maritime economy. However, he said its deteriorating condition had turned the route into a daily challenge for truckers, freight forwarders, importers and residents.
The freight operators alleged that trucks carrying valuable consignments had fallen or been involved in accidents because of the condition of the corridor. They said such incidents were causing significant financial losses for freight forwarders and importers. The stakeholders also warned that prolonged delays were increasing operating costs for businesses.
Additional expenses, they said, included demurrage, vehicle maintenance and other logistics costs, while damaged cargo could result in further losses. For companies operating under strict delivery schedules, the group said every additional day spent on the corridor translated into higher costs and greater uncertainty.
Stakeholders are therefore calling for urgent rehabilitation of the access roads, improved enforcement of designated truck parking arrangements and solutions to challenges surrounding the electronic call-up system. The planned meeting between port authorities and stakeholders is expected to provide an opportunity to address the competing concerns and prevent further disruption to cargo movement at Onne Port.
