Lagos settles Dangote refinery, park operators dispute
The Lagos State Government has announced a settlement in the dispute between Dangote Refinery and e-call-up parking operators.According to The Punch, the state government-supported e-call-up initiative aims to prevent trucks from parking indiscriminately in key business areas.
The initiative, which is managed by a private company, ensures that only trucks scheduled to load petroleum products or those authorized to be in the area have access.
This measure is intended to prevent a recurrence of the severe gridlock on Apapa Road, which has caused significant problems for local businesses and traffic flow.
It was reported that the state government wanted to include every stakeholder operating in the Lekki free trade zone in the call-up system initiative, which would allow parking companies to handle truck parking and movement within the free trade zone.
However, Dangote Group stated that it was unable to participate in the e-call-up initiative due to insufficient truck parking capacity provided by the Lagos State Government.
The recent start of petrol loading at the Dangote Refinery, which began two weeks ago, has significantly increased trucking operations in the Lekki Free Zone, which houses the refinery.
This surge of activity has raised concerns about parking availability and traffic management in the area.
Dangote Refinery told a local newspaper that it could have provided adequate truck park capacity before beginning operations, according to its initial plan, but was discouraged by the state government because the state was already planning to provide the facility.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Olawale Musa, stated that the e-call-up company began operations following a tripartite meeting between the government, Dangote Group, and park operators.
Musa characterized Dangote's disagreement with the e-call-up company as a misunderstanding that has been resolved by the government.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to the call-up system in preventing truck owners from parking on the road and maintaining order in the area.
He stated, "In plain terms, what happened is that the Dangote Group believes that the park arrangement provided by private individuals may not have the capacity to contain their trucks/vehicles, but the park and its operators have demonstrated the capacity, and we have opened talks with the Dangote Group, and the issues have been resolved."
"At a meeting of all stakeholders held on Thursday, September 19th, 2024, this issue was raised along with other concerns, and all stakeholders, including Dangote, agreed that the e-call up should begin as scheduled to avoid disorder in that axis."
""We don't just want a situation in which unwanted trucks block our roads in Lagos, especially in that busy area, because of the business interest there; we don't want a repeat of the Apapa disaster. We are taking proactive measures that will ultimately benefit all Lagosians."
Attempts to reach Dangote and the park's management for comment on the situation were unsuccessful.
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