By Joshua Yousouph
The President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Reverend Nicodemus Odolo, has called for a unified registration framework requiring all cargo owners to register under shippers’ association in order to benefits from the N28 billion Cargo Defence Fund (CDF).
Odolo made the appeal amid ongoing industry conversations on the polarity of groups by cargo owners as well as the governance and utilisation of the CDF, which was established to strengthen cargo protection, institutional capacity, and welfare support for shippers within Nigeria’s maritime sector. He stressed that a centralised representation structure is necessary to ensure effective coordination and proper deployment of the intervention fund.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, has said the Council will carefully assess a proposal by the SALS seeking access to the N28 billion Cargo Defence Fund for the acquisition of a permanent secretariat in Lagos.
Akutah made the remarks during a recent inspection of the proposed facility in Apapa, Lagos, describing the visit as part of due diligence required under the Standard Operating Procedure governing the management of the recovered fund.
But, speaking exclusively with our correspondent, the President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Reverend Nicodemus Odolo, called for a unified registration framework requiring all cargo owners to register under recognised Shippers’ Associations across the states in order to access benefits from the N28 billion Cargo Defence Fund (CDF).
Odolo noted that the Act establishing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) was deliberately designed to midwife the formation of Shippers’ Associations, so as to enable the Council effectively carry out its primary mandate of protecting the interests of shippers and cargo owners. He therefore argued that shippers and cargo owners should be duly registered under the Shippers’ Associations in their respective states.
According to him, while existing associations may continue to operate and bear their respective names, it is important that their cargo owner members are also properly registered under the recognised Shippers’ Associations, which would qualify them to enjoy the benefits of the Cargo Defence Fund as well as the protection of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Federal Government.
He maintained that the proliferation of fragmented associations within the cargo owners’ community weakens coordination and undermines the original intent of the regulatory framework guiding the NSC, thereby affecting the effective utilisation of interventions such as the CDF.
Odolo further argued that a unified registry under state Shippers’ Associations would streamline engagement with regulators, enhance accountability, and ensure that only verified and properly registered cargo owners benefit from sectoral support mechanisms.
However, the position has continued to generate mixed reactions from stakeholders within the import and export community.
For instance, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Ayopade Omolale, stated that while importers and shippers support initiatives aimed at strengthening the welfare and institutional capacity of stakeholders, such proposals must be guided by transparency, broad stakeholder consultation, and accountability in the utilisation of the Cargo Defence Fund.
Omolale further clarified that although SALS plays an important advocacy role within the maritime space, membership should be strictly guided by established legal and regulatory provisions. He cautioned that registration under the association should not be presumed mandatory for all importers, exporters, or chamber members unless expressly provided for by law.
He maintained that inclusive engagement remains essential in any decision involving the ₦28 billion Cargo Defence Fund, noting that proper governance structures are necessary to maintain trust across the industry.
