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, the fourth in a series of stakeholder consultations on the proposed Lagos State Freight Policy and Regulatory Framework, brought together representatives of freight unions and industry associations to identify operational problems that should be addressed by the policy, the agency announced over the weekend.
Held under the theme, “Smart freight for a thriving Lagos,” the session focused on issues including 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 freight operators.
Rather, she said, the objective was to simplify regulatory processes, remove unnecessary delays and ultimately reduce the cost of moving goods within the state.
The assurance comes against the backdrop of the multiple agencies, regulations and operational requirements that freight operators encounter as they move cargo through Lagos, particularly within the state’s complex logistics and port environment.
The consultation therefore sought to capture the experience of operators who deal directly with those processes and identify areas where government intervention could improve freight movement.
Consultants working on the policy, Gboyega Odunlami and Ogochukwu Ugboma of ITS/FAOCON, led the discussions and review of stakeholders’ submissions.
Among those who participated were 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.
The stakeholders were also nominated as representatives for the forthcoming synthesis workshop, where recommendations from the various consultations will be reviewed and consolidated.
The latest engagement is part of a broader consultation process through which LAMATA has been examining different parts of Lagos’ freight ecosystem.
The first session brought together government ministries, departments and agencies as well as enforcement bodies, with discussions centred on inter-agency coordination and overlapping regulatory responsibilities.
The second focused on private logistics operators, freight companies and cargo owners, particularly the operational difficulties associated with logistics and access to the ports.
The third brought together professional organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration, alongside academics, civil society organisations and development partners such as the Agence Française de Développement.
That session examined issues including digital integration, environmental sustainability and safety standards.
The fourth consultation, by focusing specifically on freight unions and industry associations, provides LAMATA with the perspective of operators and professional stakeholders who interact directly with the existing freight system.
The recommendations emerging from the consultations will be incorporated into the proposed policy framework, which LAMATA said is intended to create a freight transport system that is more efficient, safer and competitive.
The authority said the stakeholder-driven approach was aimed at ensuring that the final framework responds to practical conditions in Lagos rather than being developed solely from a regulatory perspective.
