Global maritime anti-corruption surveillance body; the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) has fingered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as the government agency with the highest number of corruption-related complaints in vessel clearance operations at Nigerian seaports in the last five years.
The figures that were obtained by our correspondent suggest that immigration processes around crew and vessel documentation remain the most vulnerable points for abuse in the port environment between January 2020 and March 2025.
The data, sourced from the MACN Helpdesk Portal System (PortCallAssist), shows that out of 176 feedback cases received from port users, a total of 175 were validated, while 168 cases were closed and only one withdrawn.
The MACN Helpdesk Portal System, known as PortCallAssist, is a web-based feedback mechanism for users of Nigerian seaports and terminals, allowing them to submit both positive and negative operational experiences. Through the platform, port users report grievances, track their resolution, and generate analytics to support the effective application of Standard Operating Procedures in port operations.
Within the period under review, the data reflects a growing reliance on the platform by vessel operators, shipping agents and port users to escalate challenges encountered during port calls and clearance procedures.
An analysis of complaints shows that the Nigeria Immigration Service accounted for 137 of the reported cases, representing well over three-quarters of all recorded port-user grievances on the portal. This figure dwarfs those of other agencies operating in the port.
Details showed that, Port Health Services followed the Immigration distantly with 21 cases, while the Nigeria Customs Service recorded seven. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency had five cases, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service had two, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Navy and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency recorded one case respectively.
The dominance of NIS-related complaints is closely linked to vessel and crew clearance activities. Most of the reported infractions revolve around immigration documentation, clearance of crew members and compliance with established SOPs for vessels entering or leaving Nigerian ports. The most frequent complaint category was improper documentation for crew members, which alone generated 81 reports during the period.
Closely following this was the demand for bribes to clear vessels on mere immigration formalities in line with SOP requirements, which accounted for 42 cases. This points to allegations of extortion during what should ordinarily be routine clearance procedures. Other reports also indicate issues such as granting permits to crew without proper medical certification, bribery involving un-documented transit passengers, and failure to properly verify vaccination and travel documents of crew members.
Beyond immigration, the portal also captured issues such as unlawful seizure of cargo, wrong computation of tonnage bills, double charges by multiple security agencies, illegal demands from commercial vessels and health inspection service levies. However, these were significantly lower in volume, when compared to immigration-related cases, underscoring where the main integrity risks lie.
With 168 cases already resolved through the platform, MACN’s intervention has helped reduce operational bottlenecks for port users. Yet, the data also serves as a diagnostic tool, exposing systemic weaknesses in vessel clearance processes, particularly within the Nigeria Immigration Service.
