A former Western Zone Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Sir John Oforbike has decried the growing uncoordinated regulatory overlap among government agencies operating at the nation’s seaports. He particularly pointed fingers at the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and others.
In an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily last week, Sir John Oforbike raised the alarm over what he described as a worsening trend of multiple agencies interfering in cargo clearance processes—leading to delays, extortion, and disruption of trade activities at the ports. According to him, agencies that were previously barred from physical port operations under earlier reforms have found their way back into the port environment, exploiting loopholes and ministerial backing to impose alerts and demands on importers.
“Under the previous administration, some of these agencies were banned from the port because of the confusion and delay they were causing. They were told to stay in their offices and not be involved in cargo examinations. But now, due to corruption, they’ve lobbied their way back in,” he said.
The frontline freight forwarder specifically questioned the relevance of the Plant Quarantine Service at the seaport, especially in cases involving food products like palm oil and custard, which, according to him, fall under the mandate of NAFDAC.
He revealed how his recent consignment of imported palm oil was delayed for days due to multiple alerts from different agencies including NAFDAC, Quarantine, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) with terminal operators and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) complicit in holding the cargo until unofficial payments were made.
“Palm oil is food, used in cooking, soap, and even animal feed. It already has a certificate of inspection from the country of origin. Yet, after NAFDAC clears it, Quarantine officials still place alerts and demand ‘settlement’. The same goes for milk. Someone from Quarantine says milk is from a cow, so they must inspect it. This is ridiculous. The level of corruption is alarming. After you settle them, they lift the alert with just a letter. This is not how a modern port system should operate,” Oforbike lamented.
Oforbike called for the urgent implementation of the National Single Window platform—a digital portal that clearly outlines which agency is responsible for each product type, to ensure transparency and eliminate overlapping roles. He further called for the appointment of a central coordinator or spokesperson to harmonize the activities of the various agencies at the port and ensure accountability.
“With a proper Single Window, when you want to import something, you know which agency to deal with, get the right permit, and you’re done. But even after doing all that, another agency comes up and interferes. There’s no coordination, no oversight. The entire port system is weak because of corruption and lack of coordination. We need someone to oversee these agencies and enforce their limits. If we don’t fix this, the maritime sector will continue to suffer,” he warned.
