By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has sought the input of freight operators and industry associations as it works on a new regulatory framework aimed at reducing delays, overlapping regulations and other bottlenecks affecting the movement of goods across Lagos.
The engagement, held over the weekend, was the fourth in a series of stakeholder consultations on the proposed Lagos State Freight Policy and Regulatory Framework, bringing together representatives of freight unions and industry associations to identify operational problems the policy should address.
Held under the theme Smart Freight for a Thriving Lagos, the session focused on regulatory duplication, illegal charges, truck staging, digital integration and road safety.
The Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, represented by the agency’s Technical Adviser, Planning, Osa Konyeha, said the proposed framework was not intended to impose additional financial obligations on operators, but rather to simplify regulatory processes, remove unnecessary delays and reduce the cost of moving goods within the state.
The assurance comes against the backdrop of multiple agencies, regulations and operational requirements freight operators encounter while moving cargo through Lagos, particularly within the state’s complex logistics and port environment.
The consultation sought to capture the experience of operators who deal directly with these processes and identify areas for government intervention.
Consultants working on the policy, Gboyega Odunlami and Ogochukwu Ugboma of ITS/FAOCON, led the discussions and review of submissions.
Participants included Mohammed Sani of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Yinka Onigbinde of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, Alade Shabi of the National Association of Freight Forwarders and Air Console Agents, and Olanrewaju Majekodunmi of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers, who were also nominated as representatives for the forthcoming synthesis workshop where recommendations will be consolidated.
The engagement forms part of a broader consultation process through which LAMATA has been examining different segments of Lagos’s freight ecosystem.
The first session brought together government MDAs and enforcement bodies, focusing on inter-agency coordination and overlapping regulatory responsibilities.
The second focused on private logistics operators, freight companies and cargo owners, particularly operational difficulties around port access.
The third session brought together professional organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration, alongside academics, civil society groups and development partners such as the Agence Française de Développement, examining digital integration, environmental sustainability and safety standards.
The fourth, by focusing specifically on freight unions and industry associations, gave LAMATA the perspective of operators who interact directly with the existing system.
The recommendations emerging from the consultations will be incorporated into the proposed policy framework, which LAMATA said is intended to create a more efficient, safer and competitive freight transport system.
The authority said the stakeholder-driven approach was aimed at ensuring the final framework responds to practical conditions in Lagos rather than being developed solely from a regulatory perspective.
