The newly-elected President of the Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS), Rev. Nicodemus Odolo in this interview with Joshua Yousouph, shares insights into his vision for the association, including plans to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders, and strategies to address the persistent challenges confronting Nigerian shippers. He also speaks on policy advocacy, port operations, and the future of maritime trade in Lagos and beyond.
· Revenue Target: Customs officers will do anything, even drain the blood of shippers to meet that target
· “My target is that within 12 to 48 hours, every cargo must be cleared”
· “There is no faction in the Shippers Association of Lagos State. What happened was an internal crisis”
Now that we are in the last quarter of the year, how would you assess the maritime industry this year so far?
The maritime industry is still like a weeping baby. We have not seen our desire. We have not seen a desire that will transform the maritime industry. There are a lot of expectations that we had, but have not been met. So, as for me, it is still very poor. We have not passed the test.
What are some of these expectations that we are yet to see?
One of them is the dwelling period of cargo in the port, the time it takes for clearance. I know some time ago, we got to a point where we could achieve five to seven days delivery. But now, some people are spending three weeks, even up to a month or more. That is one major areas of concern. Like I always say, computers and digitalization are supposed to make the process easier. But in general, it seems to be elongating the process and causing delays. And what is causing the delay is not the system itself, it is corruption. People will not allow what is inside the computer to function. They will be “fingering” it, trying to twist the system. So that is the problem. We are not getting the expected result. Go to developed nations and see how their port systems work. When your cargo arrives, within two hours, it is out of the port. That is the challenge.
Secondly, for over 20 years now, I have been crying about port charges — the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports. Nigeria is the costliest port in Africa. I have been crying and working, yet nothing has come down. Instead, they keep adding more and more charges every now and then. These are the things I look at when scoring the maritime industry. We are not there yet.
Congratulations on your election as the new President of the Shippers’ Association of Lagos State. How do you feel about your new responsibilities?
Thank you for the congratulatory message. I’m delighted to take over the leadership of the association, because the truth is that I have the experience. I am one of the founding fathers of the association. We started it together. I was the first Treasurer of the association, and I’ve been part of every administration that has come and gone. The administration of Reverend Jonathan Nicole, I can say, is the fairest and the best so far. But my coming in this time, I want to do something unusual — something that can beat Reverend Jonathan Nicole’s record. So, I am delighted and happy to take the leadership of the association. I have what it takes to turn things around.
All my prayer is for people’s cooperation. If there is cooperation, there are a lot of things we can achieve together. As I come in as President, I tell people: you don’t just plan to take over leadership like politicians do, without having a plan of what you want to do. I don’t believe in sitting down for six months without the people feeling the impact of your administration. So, I’m assuring you that by the time I complete 100 days in office, the whole maritime industry will hear of the good things, by the grace of God that I would have accomplished for the association and the industry in general.
Can you share your journey in the shipping and logistics sector leading up to this position?
I came into the maritime industry in 1978. Since then, I’ve been in it. I trained in clearing and forwarding — how to clear and export goods. I also trained in transport and cargo delivery, supplying trucks and ensuring cargo gets to its destination. In 1991, I obtained my license as a freight forwarder. In 1994 or 1995, I was awarded the Best Freight Forwarder in Nigeria. In 1999–2000, I received an international award as the Best International Freight Forwarder from Sweden. By 2001–2002, I had graduated into importation — starting with fertilizers. One of my import contracts was worth about $900,000 per year. Later, I ventured into chemical importation for the PET industry.
However, the problems in the maritime industry have not favored me, because I often fight for other shippers’ rights. Most times, I protest when there are irregularities, and that costs me time and money. By the time my cargo finally comes out of the port, the landing cost is often higher than the selling price in the market. I have a vast experience in the maritime sector. I’ve been part of freight forwarding leadership. I am one of the founding fathers of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA). I’ve attended international conferences — in the U.S. (2010) and Singapore (2013) — under FIATA. So, by the grace of God, I am not a pushover in this industry.
Over the years, there have been internal crises and warring factions within SALS. But now, it seems peace has been restored. As the new President, how do you intend to unify aggrieved members?
First of all, I have said it several times: there is no faction in the Shippers Association of Lagos State. What happened was an internal crisis. The crisis began when the last executive, led by Mr. Leo Ogamba, came into power by removing Reverend Jonathan Nicole’s executive. That removal was done wrongly. When that incident happened, I was outside the country. When I got to know, I flew back to Nigeria to resolve it as a trustee of the association.
By the grace of God and the support of our members, I brought the Board of Trustees together and we reviewed the matter. We found out that the procedure used to dissolve Reverend Nicole’s exco was wrong and they admitted it. So, if it was wrong, it had to be reversed. That was what led Reverend Nicole and his group to go to court. When I stepped in, God used me to reconcile everyone. Even Leo Ogamba himself was calling me, crying that he had lost his exco and nobody listened to him. I came back, reconciled the factions, and withdrew Reverend Nicole’s court case. Later, Mr. Ogamba became authoritarian, refusing to listen to anyone. When the association took decisions, he did otherwise. Eventually, he was voted out and impeached. He went to court, but the judgment declared that he was not a member of the association. That settled it. There is no faction. Those backing him before have backed out. Now, under my leadership, we are doing everything to revive inactive members and open our doors for new ones. Anyone with a bill of lading showing ownership of cargo can register with us. Our administration is all-inclusive. Nobody will be left out. Decisions come from our general meetings, and the exco enforces them. We are good to go.
Can you share some of your specific visions for the association during your tenure?
During Reverend Jonathan Nicole’s time, I worked with him, and we organized the Shippers’ Day. This year, by December 3rd, we are holding another Shippers’ Day, focusing on multiple charges in the port system and the Nigeria Single Window Project. We want to discuss the benefits of these initiatives before government comes up with more financial burdens on shippers. You see, in Nigeria, the chicken that lays the golden egg, (the shipper), is not being fed properly. Instead, they are plucking off its feathers. Customs boast of generating revenue, but it’s the feathers of the chicken they are pulling-off. Importation volume has dropped, and those still importing are being given cut-throat charges. They are bleeding. If something is not done urgently, they will die. Government should not give Customs revenue targets. When you do, officers will do anything, even drain the blood of shippers to meet that target.
Beyond that, within 100 days, we are pursuing a massive membership drive. We are also organizing a stakeholder meeting involving shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, truckers, and shippers. For over 25 years, I’ve been pushing for this to bring everyone to the same table. Why? Because nobody is accepting responsibility in Nigeria’s port system. When there’s a delay due to a broken crane, who pays? It’s the shipper. When shipping companies or terminals go wrong, still the shipper pays. Everything is on the shipper. We want to correct that. Everyone must own up to their responsibilities. That’s how the system will start working.
Welfare is key for every association. How do you intend to enhance the welfare and representation of shippers in Lagos State?
The welfare of shippers will be evident when their cargoes come out of the port within 48 hours. My target is that within 12 to 48 hours, every cargo must be cleared. God will give me and my exco the grace to make this a reality. Also, we want to create a system where our cargo owners can relax. Like in the old days when there were cargo clubs, we’ll reintroduce something similar. We will also establish a welfare fund. Sometimes, a shipper’s cargo arrives and gets delayed because there’s no money to pay duties. We will pool resources together, so that members facing such challenges can apply for assistance to clear their cargo. That will prevent losses and delays. These are some of the welfare plans I have.
Finally, sir, what are your recommendations for regulators and other stakeholders in the industry?
We are among those who support a regulatory system because the Nigerian port system is porous, everybody does what they like. That’s why corruption thrives. So, having a regulator is good, and we back it up. We’ll push for the pending regulatory bill of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to be passed, with necessary corrections. However, I don’t support any regulator charging money from port users. A regulator should be like a referee, neutral and fair. If a referee has a team on the field, he cannot be fair. So, the regulator should be paid from the national budget, not from industry players. If you charge, you’ll become biased. The real essence of regulation will be lost. We’ll also push for all agencies like NPA, Customs, and others to come together and harmonize their overlapping responsibilities. There are too many conflicting roles. The single window system will help streamline this. We are hoping that it comes on stream soonest and it will not be compromised.
