Trucks Transit Parks Limited (TTP) has urged ECOWAS member states to accelerate the digitisation of trade and transport systems across the region, highlighting the urgent need for smarter truck parking infrastructure, rest stops, and digital traffic management to enhance cross-border trade efficiency.
The call followed a comprehensive 6,000-kilometre road assessment conducted by Jama Onwubuariri, TTP’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Liberia. The four-week tour examined transport infrastructure, border post operations, and the role of technology along the Lagos–Abidjan–Ouagadougou corridor, one of West Africa’s busiest trade routes.
Findings from the trip revealed major challenges, including inadequate and unsafe truck parking spaces, reliance on manual border documentation, lack of electronic call-up systems at key ports such as Lome, Tema, and Abidjan, and limited use of real-time data for traffic coordination and transport planning.
Onwubuariri emphasised that technology-driven reforms are crucial for boosting regional competitiveness. “Regional trade can only thrive when goods, drivers, and cargo move seamlessly. Inefficiencies at borders and ports not only increase costs for businesses but also weaken West African economies,” he said.
To address these gaps, TTP is promoting its Ètò app, a digital platform offering real-time truck scheduling, electronic call-up systems, rest-stop bookings, and cross-border digital payments. The platform also provides valuable data to aid government planning, investment, and policy monitoring.
TTP is currently engaging ECOWAS institutions, customs services, transport ministries, and chambers of commerce to pilot the Ètò solution. The company projects that regional adoption will reduce border delays and informal payments, improve driver welfare, and strengthen trade alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) objectives.
“ECOWAS has made commendable progress in promoting integration,” Onwubuariri concluded, “but without technology, inefficiencies will persist. It’s time to embrace digital solutions and set West Africa on the path to seamless trade and economic growth.”
