IPMAN Directs Members to Boycott Lekki-Epe Corridor Over N12,500 E-Call-Up Levy

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), South-West Zone, has directed its transporters to withdraw from the Lekki-Epe corridor starting Monday, June 16, 2025, in protest against a new N12,500 E-Call-up levy imposed by the Lagos State Government. This directive, issued by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Oyewole Akanni, and widely reported today, Sunday, June 15, 2025, signals a potential disruption to petroleum product distribution along the vital economic corridor.

The planned boycott aims to prevent IPMAN members from experiencing what the association anticipates will be harassment following the state’s move to fully implement the new traffic management system. Chief Akanni stated that IPMAN’s national leadership had earlier advised marketers to halt truck movements to depots in the area due to unresolved concerns with the Lagos Ministry of Transportation.

“The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), South-West Zone, has directed its members to boycott the Lekki-Epe corridor from Monday to avoid embarrassment,” Akanni stated in a release made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “The national office had earlier directed its members not to send trucks to load petroleum products on the Lekki-Epe corridor from Monday.”

According to IPMAN, several rounds of stakeholder engagement failed to yield meaningful adjustments to the policy. Akanni accused the Lagos government of insisting on rolling out the system “on its own terms,” despite objections from key industry stakeholders, including IPMAN and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).

Both IPMAN and NARTO have formally written to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, expressing concern over what they describe as an “unjustifiable charge.” NARTO, in its letter, highlighted that the N12,500 fee per truck imposes unsustainable operational costs and requested a downward review to N2,500, stating that its members would not participate in the scheme otherwise. IPMAN similarly expressed support for the e-call-up policy’s intent but affirmed compliance only if the levy is reduced to N2,500 per truck, warning that the current fee could adversely affect the pricing of petroleum products nationwide.

The e-call-up policy itself, designed to regulate truck movement and ease traffic congestion around depots and industrial areas, is not new to Lagos, having been first introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2021 for the Apapa and Tin Can port corridors. The Lagos State Government had extended the system to the Lekki corridor in September 2024 but suspended enforcement in March 2025 to allow for further consultations with industry stakeholders. The new revised rollout date is now set for Monday, June 16, 2025.

Under the new system, operators are required to upload their Authority to Load (ATL) documents and reserve parking slots before their trucks can access the corridor. The Lagos State Government has also approved the development of seven dedicated truck parks along the corridor to support the rollout.

The Lekki-Epe corridor is a strategic economic hub, home to critical infrastructure such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Dangote Refinery, which have significantly increased truck traffic and worsened congestion in the area. The impasse between petroleum marketers and the Lagos State Government over the e-call-up levy threatens to further complicate logistics and potentially impact fuel supply chains.