The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) recovered over ₦2,059 billion for shippers through interventions handled by its Complaints Unit in the third quarter of 2025. The recovery, achieved through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, reflects the Council’s sustained drive to protect shippers from arbitrary charges and operational infractions within the maritime industry.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that NSC had earlier announced that it successfully saved shippers over N175.8 billion and $30,000 USD in the second quarter of 2025 through its interventions in complaints lodged by stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry.
According to the Council’s Q3 Progress Report, exclusively made available to our correspondent, the Complaints Unit received 46 complaints from stakeholders across the maritime supply chain during the period, out of which 26 cases were successfully resolved. The remaining cases, the Council noted, are undergoing further scrutiny due to incomplete documentation and the need for verification from relevant agencies.
The complaints handled during the quarter covered a wide range of industry challenges, including disputes over container deposit refunds, demurrage and detention charges, arbitrary billing, cargo damage, missing containers, documentation errors, regulatory delays, and non-delivery of cargo.
The report highlighted that the NSC’s interventions were driven by its statutory mandate to ensure fairness in port operations, enhance service delivery, and protect cargo owners and service providers from exploitative practices. Through the deployment of its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, the Council said it prevented several disputes from escalating into litigation, thereby saving stakeholders both time and money.
The Council further disclosed that the Complaints Unit continued its monthly submission of service delivery reports to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in line with national efforts to improve efficiency in the maritime sector.
While emphasizing ongoing challenges such as poor documentation by freight forwarders, weak collaboration among operators, and the difficulty of tracing some shipping service users, the NSC reiterated its commitment to strengthening transparency, stakeholder engagement, and operational compliance across ports nationwide.
The Council also conducted advocacy visits during the period under review, including engagements with the Apapa Customs Command and Ocean Network Express (ONE), aimed at fostering better collaboration and resolving industry-wide complaints relating to auctions, documentation, cargo release, and container management.
With over ₦2 billion recovered and more than half of submitted complaints resolved in Q3, the NSC says it is prepared to intensify regulatory oversight and stakeholder sensitization as part of its broader reforms to promote a fair, competitive, and efficient maritime environment.
