Shippers in Lagos State have renewed calls for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s port operations, demanding the full implementation of the National Single Window and an end to the arbitrary charges, illegal checkpoints, and prolonged delays that continue to frustrate cargo movement across the country’s seaports.
The demands were made at the 2025 Shippers’ Day celebration organised by the Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) in collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in Lagos on Wednesday.
Stakeholders said Nigeria’s current port environment is stifling compliant traders and undermining the nation’s aspirations to become a competitive regional trade hub.
In his opening speech, President of SALS, Nicodemus Odolo, described the operating climate as increasingly hostile, pointing to multiple levies, excessive charges, container stoppages, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that inflate logistics costs and erode business viability. He said shippers are insisting that government agencies dismantle structures that encourage rent-seeking and punish legitimate trade.
Odolo, who also operates a licensed clearing and forwarding firm, lamented that compliant shippers often experience the worst delays, because they refuse to cut corners. According to him, some consignments remain in the port for months, while those who “sort-out” officials enjoy faster clearance.
“Whoever wants to do things right in Nigeria suffers. My cargo can stay up to three months because I insist on doing it the proper way. Those who don’t follow due process get the benefits,” he noted, calling on regulators to make compliance an advantage, rather than a liability.
The SALS President also accused certain security agencies of operating beyond their mandate, particularly the police, whom he said stop export containers on highways to query customs duty. Odolo insisted that shippers are demanding a streamlined, transparent system where each agency sticks to its defined role.
Responding to stakeholders’ concerns, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, acknowledged that arbitrary charges and overlapping taxes continue to distort pricing across the logistics chain. He said the Council is engaging relevant agencies to harmonise fiscal measures and ensure that policies within the port ecosystem support trade facilitation.
Akutah emphasised that the council remained committed to reforms that promoted fairness, transparency, and efficiency across the ports.
He expressed strong support for the full implementation of the National Single Window, describing it as a structural reform that integrated all port processes, reduced delays, eliminated duplicated documentation, and streamlined cargo clearance for importers and exporters.
Addressing the four per cent tax on Free On Board (FOB) value of imported goods imposed by the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Akutah acknowledged stakeholders’ concerns about import costs and business sustainability.
He assured that the NSC was engaging relevant authorities in ensuring that fiscal policies were harmonised with national economic priorities.
The NSC boss also lauded SALS for providing a forum where industry issues could be openly discussed and addressed, describing the association’s advocacy as a driving force for positive change in the maritime sector.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi, said the National Single Window and its relationship with the B’Odogwu platform, highlighted government’s modernisation agenda in trade facilitation.
Adeniyi, who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller General, Muhammed Babadede, described the B’Odogwu platform, an indigenous Unified Customs Management System, as a powerful tool to digitise and streamline cargo clearance.
According to Adeniyi, B’odogwu reduces human interface, minimises errors, and provides real-time visibility to all stakeholders.
He further highlighted modernisation initiatives under the Comptroller-General of Customs, including the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorised Economic Operator programme, and One-Stop Shop initiative.
The customs boss said all above mentioned customs policies aimed to improve efficiency, transparency, and reduce clearance times.
He explained that the National Single Window and B’Odogwu platforms were complementary, with full integration expected in the first quarter of 2026, providing a unified digital trade ecosystem aligned with global best practices.
Also speaking, maritime lawyer Osuala Nwagbara said the persistent imposition of excessive charges reflects deeper structural irregularities within the maritime industry. He noted that increasing advocacy by shippers signals a new era where arbitrary practices will no longer go unchallenged.
The President of Barge Owners Association and Exporters, Mr Bunmi Olumekun urged both exporters and importers to continue supporting national development, he also emphasized the critical role of trade in sustaining Nigeria’s economy.
The Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN), Mr Kingsley Igwe, represented by the Director of Enforcement, Mr Ben Ojuma, recognised the strategic role of shippers in national commerce.
Igwe called on the government to provide incentives for shippers to own larger vessels, thereby enhancing trade facilitation.
Stakeholders concluded that without rapid implementation of these reforms, more shippers will exit the industry, and Nigeria will continue to lose competitiveness to neighbouring ports. They stressed that their demands are essential not just for operational convenience but for the survival of businesses and the strength of the national economy.
