By Joshua Yousouph
Following the current tariff hike “war” between shipping companies and industry stakeholders, investigations by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that the shipping companies operating in Nigeria’s seaports are yet to commence formal engagement with industry stakeholders on proposed tariff adjustments, despite a directive by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) urging consultations and the consideration of a 30 percent cap on increases.
Recall that the Executive Secretary of the Council, Dr. Akutah Pius at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos last week, declared that the proposed tariff increase in the maritime sector should not exceed 30 percent, describing the figure as a necessary cap to balance industry sustainability with economic stability.
Dr Akutah stressed that the 30 percent approval represents an upper limit rather than a fixed rate, noting that actual implementation would depend on the outcome of consultations between shipping companies and industry players.
The development has continued to draw reactions from freight forwarders and customs agents, who say dialogue remains critical to ensuring clarity, transparency, and alignment across the port value chain.
Speaking with our correspondent last week, the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Emmanuel Onyeme, said stakeholders are still expecting shipping companies to initiate discussions following the meeting and directives by the Council.
According to him, while operators may still be reviewing the directive and internal processes, the absence of timely communication has created uncertainty within the system. He added that if shipping companies do not reach out within a reasonable timeframe, stakeholders may take the initiative to formally request engagement in order to move discussions forward, before actions will be taken.
He noted that engagement would provide an opportunity to address concerns around cost structures, particularly charges applied at both the port of origin and destination, and to better understand the justification for any proposed adjustments.
Onyeme explained that stakeholders are not opposed to tariff reviews, but emphasised that such changes should be implemented in a fair, transparent, and consultative manner, especially within the framework of the proposed 30 percent cap.
He added that: “We are still waiting for shipping companies to reach out for engagement following the directive of the Shippers’ Council. If they delay further, stakeholders may have to initiate the process ourselves. There is no justification for charging importers multiple times for the same service. Engagement is needed to clarify these charges and eliminate duplication.”
“Stakeholders are not against tariff reviews, but any adjustment must be transparent, justified, and done through proper consultation, especially within the proposed 30 percent limit. For now, we are yet to confirm whether operators are still on the old rates or have started implementing new charges, and that is part of the uncertainty in the system” Onyeme noted.
Similarly, the President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Ifeanyi Anakweze, confirmed that shipping companies have yet to re-engage stakeholders on the matter.
He, however, indicated that from recent operational experience, many shipping companies appear to still be applying existing tariff structures, while some terminal operators have introduced adjustments, highlighting the need for harmonisation.
Anakweze expressed optimism that once engagement begins, stakeholders would be able to collectively review the proposed tariff framework, including the 30 percent cap, and agree on a balanced approach that supports both operators and port users.
“We expect shipping companies to comply with the Shippers’ Council directive and engage stakeholders to ensure a fair and balanced tariff structure. From available observations, some shipping companies appear to be on existing tariff structures, while a few terminal operators may have adjusted their charges.” Anakweze noted.
When contacted by Shipping Position Daily last week, President of Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), Mrs Boma Alabi clarified the scope and interpretation of the NSC’s directive and the ongoing tariff review process noting that the Council directed shipping lines to engage their stakeholders, but such engagement is typically customer-based rather than a general industry-wide consultation, as shipping companies communicate primarily with their direct clients.
She explained that not every industry player will necessarily be contacted, since engagement is usually directed at active customers of each shipping line. Alabi further clarified that there is no blanket 30 percent tariff cap applicable across the board, stressing that the NSC’s review was done on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances of each shipping line.
The SAN President noted that some operators had not reviewed their rates for over two years, which informed the varying adjustments approved, with some increases above or below 30 percent depending on individual cases.
“The NSC did give the shipping lines the instruction to engage with their stakeholders. Not that it was necessary, because the shipping lines always engage with their customers. They do not reach out to every industry player, because not every industry player is shipping with them. So you will reach out to your customers. So, some agents will hear from them, some may not. It is based on who are the customers at the time. And then they will let them know that this is what is going on.
“And let me correct an impression here. There’s no fixed rate or maximum of 30% across the board. What happened was that NSC looked at each and every one of them. Looked at the circumstances, looked at whether rates have been reviewed. Some of the shipping companies have not had rates reviewed for over 2 years. So each individual case was dealt with on a case by case basis. So it’s individual cases, and there’s no across the margin tariff percentage, so to speak. Some are more than 30%, some are less than 30%” she noted.
