By Sunny Nwafor

Lagos has been bedeviled for many years now with unprecedented traffic congestion with the Lagos Ports and environs not being an exception.

This has impacted operational efficiency, performance and productivity of the ports. However, following the commissioning of Balosh Integrated Services -an access control company, by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to implement and install an electronic truck call-up system, known as ETO in the Lagos Port, there appears a renewed enthusiasm in the environment.

Our investigations into this new development led us to meeting the Lead personnel for the installation team, Ms Serah Ogundele, who is a Senior Operations Manager at Balosh.

Serah Ogundele, a trained Mechanical Engineer, thrives on leading teams to harness their individual strengths, driving collective success and achieving optimal results. Reflecting on this project, she recounts: “Transforming challenges into opportunities, I led the implementation of the NPA’s ETO system, reducing port congestion by 60% and driving supply chain efficiency. What we’ve established here showcases the true value of contemporary innovation and its power to define progress.”

Probing further, Ms Ogundele highlighted the importance of collaboration: “True progress is built on teamwork and tenacity. Leading the NPA’s ETO project was more than a task—it was a journey of resilience and collaboration. Together with a team of skilled software and hardware engineers, we overcame complexities to deliver a transformative solution that redefined efficiency and significantly reduced port congestion.”

The ETO system is a digital platform that regulates the entry and exit of trucks at ports and has enhanced efficiency since it was installed. MD at Balosh Integrated Services, Roy Oshinbolu, expressed pride in the achievement, saying: “We are honored to be selected as the sole access control provider for the ports, holding bays, and truck parks. Completing over 100 installations in just four months demonstrates our commitment to delivering impactful solutions in even the most challenging environments.”

With this success achieved, it is imperative that the government begin to explore technologies that can provide a solution to the difficulties encountered by Nigerians that have impacted productivity and economic growth.