LAMATA engages freight unions in bid to overhaul Lagos cargo movement
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has held a fourth round of consultations with freight operators and industry associations, as it moves to finalise a new regulatory framework aimed at easing the movement of goods across the state.
The session, themed “Smart freight for a thriving Lagos,” brought together representatives of truck owners, freight forwarders, and transport unions to identify the most pressing operational bottlenecks. Key issues raised included duplicated regulations, unauthorised levies, insufficient truck parking, lack of digital integration, and persistent safety concerns.
Speaking on behalf of LAMATA’s Managing Director, Abimbola Akinajo, the agency’s Technical Adviser for Planning, Osa Konyeha, assured participants that the proposed policy is not intended to introduce fresh financial burdens. Rather, its goal is to streamline approvals, cut unnecessary delays, and ultimately reduce the overall cost of moving goods within Lagos.
The consultation marks a shift towards hearing from those who operate the system daily. Freight operators in Lagos must contend with multiple agencies, overlapping permits, and numerous checkpoints, conditions that often add significant time and expense to each trip.
Consultants Gboyega Odunlami and Ogochukwu Ugboma of ITS/FAOCON led the session, facilitating feedback on draft proposals. Participants included Mohammed Sani (Association of Maritime Truck Owners), Yinka Onigbinde (Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria), Alade Shabi (National Association of Freight Forwarders and Air Console Agents), and Olanrewaju Majekodunmi (Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers). The group also nominated representatives for a forthcoming synthesis workshop to consolidate inputs from all past consultations.
The current engagement is part of a four‑phase stakeholder process. Earlier sessions covered inter‑agency coordination with government bodies, operational challenges with private logistics firms, and broader issues such as digitalisation and sustainability with professional institutes and development partners.
By turning to unions and associations at this stage, LAMATA says it aims to ground the final policy in real‑world conditions rather than regulatory theory. The authority expects the resulting framework to improve freight efficiency, enhance safety, and strengthen Lagos’ competitiveness as a logistics hub.