FAAN to Deploy Cargo Truck Call-Up System at MMIA Within 18 Months
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced a definitive 18-month timeline to make its Truck Call-Up System fully operational at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). This initiative is a central component of reforms linked to the authority’s recently reviewed cargo tariff, aimed at modernizing operations and reducing chronic congestion. The disclosure came during an interview detailing how FAAN plans to deploy revenue from the new charges, which increased to ₦20 per kilogram from ₦7.
According to FAAN, the Truck Call-Up System and an integrated Cargo Community System represent critical digital upgrades for Lagos cargo operations. The authority emphasized that this infrastructure is funded by the revised tariff and is pivotal to eliminating operational bottlenecks and improving truck turnaround times at Nigeria’s busiest cargo terminal. While the full system is slated for completion in 18 months, FAAN projects that tangible benefits, including at least a 30% reduction in average truck turnaround time, will emerge within the first 6–12 months of implementation.
To ensure accountability, FAAN has outlined a robust governance framework. A Cargo Tariff Oversight Committee, inclusive of key stakeholders, will be established. The authority will issue bi-annual progress reports tracking specific performance indicators, such as achieving a cargo dwell time of 48 hours for exports and 72 hours for imports, a two-hour truck turnaround time, and 99% system uptime. The framework includes contractual penalties for vendors who fail to deliver milestones, with provisions for stakeholders to request tariff freezes or rebates. This structured approach to project monitoring and debt service under the new tariff model is designed to ensure transparency.
The current operating environment at MMIA often features trucks queuing for extended periods, with many vehicles unregistered. FAAN asserts that reinvesting tariff proceeds into these systems will benefit operators through faster handling and more predictable logistics flows. Following a successful 12-month pilot in Lagos, with Abuja as a secondary test location, the system is planned for nationwide rollout. This upgrade reflects a necessary modernization effort, akin to security improvements seen with agencies like the Nigerian Correctional Service or regional initiatives such as when Amotekun rescues 3 victims; it addresses a foundational logistics challenge. Just as strategic oversight is crucial in security matters, perhaps as discussed by an Israel Defence Minister, or in economic revitalization like at the Onitsha Market, Soludo‘s focus on order, FAAN’s system targets core efficiency to boost Nigeria’s air trade competitiveness.
