The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has ordered its members to suspend truck programming and fuel loading activities bound for the Lekki-Epe Corridor starting June 16, 2025.
The action is in protest of the Lagos State Government’s newly introduced N12,500 e-call-up system fee, which officially took effect yesterday.
In a memo jointly signed by National President Billy Gillis-Harry and National Secretary Adedibu Aderibigbe, PETROAN criticized the fee as excessive and disconnected from the realities of the current economic climate.
The group noted that industry stakeholders had earlier proposed a more reasonable charge of N2,500 per truck.
PETROAN argued that its proposed fee better reflects current economic pressures and insisted that despite multiple meetings with Lagos authorities, no consensus was reached—leading to the suspension of operations on the corridor until a “mutually agreeable resolution” is achieved.
The association has instructed all its zonal and state chairmen to enforce the suspension and called on members to stay united while consultations with the state government continue.
It further stressed the need for a “fair and sustainable outcome” that would benefit both industry operators and the general public.
Copies of the directive were distributed to major stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), as well as security bodies like the police and Department of State Services (DSS).
In response, the Lagos State Government defended the introduction of the e-call-up system, emphasizing its necessity in managing traffic congestion on the Lekki-Epe axis.
According to Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Transport, the absence of a coordinated system had led to severe delays, with commuters now spending up to 10 hours navigating the corridor. She said the new system was intended to streamline traffic and restore order.
“We urge the NARTO and IPMAN to willfully comply in the interest of all and sundry,” she stated.