The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has expressed strong reservations over the recent increment in shipping charges by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), faulting the approval process and the absence of broad stakeholder engagement.
ANLCA President, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji, raised the concerns following a meeting between freight agents, led by the Coordinator of ANLCA Western Zone, Alhaji Femi Anifowose, and the management of MSC Apapa, which ended in a deadlock after the shipping line maintained that it acted within its rights, having received regulatory approval for the increment.
Recall that ANLCA officials on Monday shut down operations at the MSC Apapa office at about 1:30pm in protest against the reviewed charges.
Under the new regime, MSC increased its Import Documentation Fee for 20-foot containers from N45,000 to N58,500, while charges for 40-foot containers rose from N72,000 to N93,600. Port Additional Charges for 20-foot containers were also increased from N50,000 to N80,000, while the cost for 40-foot containers moved from N100,000 to N160,000.
During a 45-minute dialogue involving freight forwarders from ANLCA Western Zone, Tin Can Chapter executives, members of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), the MSC Africa Regional Controller, Finance and Administration, Mr. Jesse Chege, disclosed that the adjustment in charges had been discussed with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) over a two-year period.
Chege attributed the increment to the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria, adding that the new charges received regulatory approval in December 2025.
However, leaders of ANLCA, NAGAFF and APFFLON lamented that freight forwarders were not adequately consulted before the approval was granted. They jointly demanded that MSC revert to the old charges pending proper consultations and comprehensive stakeholder engagement.
Reacting to the deadlock, the ANLCA President, in a message delivered by the association’s spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme, criticised the approval process, insisting that freight forwarders, who directly bear the burden of shipping costs, should have been involved before any upward review was sanctioned.
He also raised concerns over lingering operational challenges associated with MSC, including prolonged container refunds and the use of trucks as temporary holding bays for returned containers, noting that these unresolved issues further compound the hardship faced by freight forwarders.
Earlier, the ANLCA Western Zone Coordinator, Alhaji Femi Anifowose, observed that shipping lines had raised tariffs by over 400 percent in 2023, questioning the justification for another increment despite what he described as relative stability in key cost drivers such as foreign exchange rates and diesel prices.
According to him, the cumulative effect of rising port-related charges continues to inflate the cost of imports, with the burden ultimately transferred to Nigerian consumers.
Also speaking, the Chairman of NAGAFF Tin Can Chapter, Dr. Emeka Paul Chiedozie, described MSC’s container refund process as one of the most challenging among shipping lines operating in Nigeria.
He said freight forwarders are often required to physically visit MSC offices, yet refunds are delayed for months due to limited space for receiving empty containers, questioning the basis for any increase in charges under such circumstances.
Efforts to reach the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima MON, were unsuccessful as at press time. However, the Council’s spokesperson, Mrs. Rebecca Adamu, said plans are underway to convene stakeholder engagements to address the concerns surrounding the reviewed charges.
The protest and dialogue were attended by several industry stakeholders, including the Secretary of ANLCA Western Zone, Alhaji Idowu Owoade; Chairman, ANLCA Tin Can Island Port Chapter, Prince Olawale Cole; Chairman, KLT Chapter of ANLCA, Chief Ahmed Olajide Bello; former ANLCA Tin Can Chapter Chairman, Mr. Ojo Peter Akintoye; and APFFLON Tin Can Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Aribiojo, among others.
