The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has voiced frustration over manual processes at Nigerian ports, particularly concerning the issuance of authority cards by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), shipping companies, and terminal operators.
ANLCA’s Vice President, Prince Segun Oduntan, expressed the association’s concerns during a recent media briefing in Lagos.
He indicated that ANLCA is prepared to confront the NPA, shipping companies, and terminal operators in the second quarter of 2024 if they persist with outdated manual procedures instead of embracing digitalization.
Oduntan criticized the failure of shipping companies and terminal operators to invest in modernizing the Nigerian port system, highlighting the persistence of manual paperwork for tasks that should be conducted online seamlessly.
“We should be operating a paperless port by now, but instead, we’re still submitting manual authority cards,” Oduntan lamented. He described the cumbersome process of submitting extensive paperwork, complete with photographs and signatures, to terminal operators and shipping companies every year.
While acknowledging PTML Terminal and Grimaldi Shipping as exceptions for their automation, Oduntan emphasized that the majority of terminal operators lag behind in embracing digital solutions.
Oduntan also criticized the Nigerian Shippers Council for maintaining manual registration processes and vowed to escalate the issue if necessary, urging all stakeholders to adopt digital platforms for efficiency and cost reduction.
Echoing Oduntan’s sentiments, Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman, Special Assistant to the ANLCA President on media, described the overcrowded and chaotic conditions at Nigerian shipping companies, contrasting them with the streamlined processes at Grimaldi Terminal.
Sulaiman highlighted the urgent need for automation to improve working conditions and efficiency, emphasizing that clearing agents should not be treated as “slaves” in their own country.
