The Lagos State Government has solicited the cooperation and collaboration of stakeholders for the successful implementation of the E-Call Up along the Lekki-Epe corridors to ease traffic and facilitate trade.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, made the call after a meeting held on Thursday, at the premises of Lekki World Wide Investment Company in Victoria Island, Lagos, a statement said.
According to the Commissioner for Transportation, the pilot operations are projected to commence in mid-June 2023.
Oladeinde said that for seamless execution of the E-call up process, there was a need to brainstorm with all relevant stakeholders carrying out business activities within the Lekki-Epe axis.
He said that the meeting was held especially with the emergence of Lekki Deep Sea Port, and upcoming Dangote refineries amongst other industries.
Oladeinde reiterated the need to understand the dynamics of each business operator for effective integration into the Call-up procedure.
He said that the pilot operation was projected to start in June 2023 for a period of two weeks.
The commissioner further stated that the essence of the pilot scheme was to test the robustness of the call-up application and to ensure it was free from all encumbrances, thereafter, live operations will commence by mid-June.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, opined that Lagos State had the highest vehicular density while noting the increase in the establishment of new industries in the Lekki-Epe corridor.
Giwa emphasized the need for the introduction of an electronic process to manage traffic within the axis.
He added that the state government had been mulling the implementation of barge operations for Lekki Deep Seaport to reduce the movement of cargoes via the road, soliciting the support of all stakeholders for seamless execution of the process.
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The Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce and Industry, Mr. Abiola Olowu, stated that the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu was keen on creating a conducive environment across the state for businesses to thrive with a special focus on the Lekki-Epe corridor due to industries springing up in the axis.
He also mentioned that in order to fast-track the implementation of the E-call-up system, the cooperation of all stakeholders was needed.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation Mr Abdulhafiz Toriola, who was also at the meeting, stated that the E-call up system application could not have come at a better time.
He said that Lekki- Epe axis was fast becoming a commercial area and it behooves the government to plan ahead to forestall traffic menace in the region.
He applauded the state government for being proactive through strategic planning on traffic management of the corridor, not neglecting the safety and security of citizens while enhancing the business atmosphere.
The Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Mr Abdullahi Sesan, expressed delight at the approval of the E-call-up system by the Governor.
Sessan said that truck count moving into the corridor was enormous hence the need to put in place a proper system to manage in and out of trucks.
He admonished the stakeholders to improve their community relations, citing a situation where truck accidents occurred and truck owners failed to visit the families of victims.
Messrs Call Up Technology Services made a presentation of how the E-call up system would be implemented and the firm was directed to get necessary input from respective stakeholders for successful integration and implementation of the system.
Some of the stakeholders present at the meeting included the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dangote Refineries, Lekki Free Zone, Lekki Worldwide Investment Company, and Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Top Government functionaries from the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe Local Governments, and Pinnacle Oil and Gas among others were also in attendance.
