The Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) has raised fresh concerns over the rising bottlenecks and soaring cost of clearing goods at Nigeria’s seaports, ahead of its annual Shippers’ Day Conference scheduled for December 3, 2025.
In a statement issued by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Ike Nwagbo, the President of SALS, Rev. Nicodemus Odolo, warned that current operational constraints and unfriendly fiscal and monetary policies continue to worsen port clearance challenges for Nigerian shippers.
Odolo said this year’s conference will focus on two critical themes designed to deepen stakeholder understanding and enhance professionalism within the maritime and trade ecosystem. The themes are: “National Single Window: Simplifying Trade Process for Nigerian Shippers” and “Challenges Between Revenue Generation and Trade Facilitation.”
The event, billed to take place at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, from 10 a.m., is expected to draw top government officials, regulators, and key players from the maritime, commerce, and trade sectors.
According to Odolo, the conference will provide a platform for direct dialogue between shippers and relevant port regulatory agencies on issues bordering on Customs trade policies, port procedures, import and export operations, and the anticipated harmonisation of the National Single Window with the Federal Government’s B’Odogwu platform ahead of its expected launch in the first quarter of 2026.
He added that the gathering would also serve as an avenue to address the burden of unfavorable government policies on trade, stating:
“Some of these fiscal and monetary policies are not business-friendly. The present challenges at various ports in Lagos State will equally be discussed.”
Another major highlight of the conference will be the recognition of distinguished Nigerians who have contributed to national economic growth and supported the welfare of s
hippers. Odolo encouraged Lagos-based shippers and others using Lagos ports to seize the opportunity to register for the event.
A lineup of high-profile dignitaries is expected at the conference, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group; the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwale.
Also expected are the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah; Project Coordinator of the National Single Window, Mr. Tola Fakolade; CEO of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Igwe; Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye; and Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Chukwunoso Okeke, among others.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mrs. Ngozi Modebelu, called on all stakeholders to contribute towards delivering an impactful and memorable event, noting that its outcomes “will still be sounding long after it has ended.”
