The Federal Executive Council approved the installation of Electronic Cargo Tracking Notes (ECTN) for seaports across Nigeria on Wednesday. The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, explained that the ECTN system will address under‑declaration, concealment, and misclassification of cargo—issues that cause revenue leakages, insecurity, and safety problems at the borders. The scheme, already operational in 26 African countries, is expected to plug these revenue gaps and generate between $90 million and $235 million annually for the federal government.
The project will be implemented through a public‑private partnership involving a consortium of five Belgian companies and four indigenous logistics firms, under a 15‑year concession. Revenue will be shared on a 60‑40 percent basis, with the federal government receiving the larger share. According to Sambo, the system will also enable the tracking of oil exports and help eliminate oil theft, which has cost the government billions of dollars.
A Senate inquiry released in November revealed that Nigeria lost over $2 billion to oil theft between January and August 2022, with only 66 percent of the country’s oil production effectively guaranteed. The remaining 33 percent was lost to theft and reduced production due to third‑party access on land terrain. Following these findings, National Security Adviser Maj‑Gen. Babagana Monguno warned that the government could lose $23 billion in 2023 if crude oil theft continues, noting that current production stands at one million barrels per day—only 50 percent of the OPEC target of two million barrels daily.
In his briefing after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Sambo highlighted that the electronic cargo tracking note, already used in neighboring countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Benin, the Republic of Congo, and Togo, will primarily address under‑declaration at ports.
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