…NSC to convene dialogue with shipping lines, freight forwarders on Wednesday
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), The Western Zone, has stepped up resistance to the proposed increase in local charges by shipping lines, mobilising freight forwarders operating at Lagos ports to present a united front ahead of a scheduled dialogue with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and shipping companies.
At a strategic meeting held in Lagos on Tuesday, ANLCA Western Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Femi Anifowose, rallied freight agents from major port locations, including Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT), and Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) to harmonise positions ahead of Wednesday’s engagement with regulators and shipping lines.
The meeting followed last week’s protests triggered by announced increases by some shipping companies, particularly Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), in Import Documentation and Port Additional Charges.
Participants at the meeting unanimously rejected the proposed increment, describing it as excessive, unjustified and inimical to the ease of doing business at Nigerian ports. They resolved to oppose the hike and to demand that any review of charges be suspended pending a transparent, inclusive process involving all port stakeholders.
Beyond the issue of shipping charges, the freight forwarders also agreed to formally demand an end to what they termed the persistent intervention of cargoes by the Maritime Police, which they said has contributed to delays, harassment and rising operational costs within the port system.
Addressing the gathering, Anifowose reiterated ANLCA’s stance against what he described as the unilateral imposition of charges by shipping lines without adequate consultation or justification.
“If we do not stand for ourselves, nobody will stand for us. Regardless of the association we belong to, we must set aside our differences and stand together in the interest of our business and our nation. This is a collective struggle for the survival and sanity of the industry. He said.
“Around November 2023, shipping companies and terminal operators increased charges by over 400 per cent, citing foreign exchange volatility and rising fuel costs. At the time, those reasons were understandable. Today, there is no justification for any further increment.”
He urged the NSC to assert its mandate as the port economic regulator by protecting port users from what he described as exploitative practices and ensuring that any adjustment to charges follows due process.
According to him, the outcome of Wednesday’s dialogue will determine the next course of action by freight forwarders, warning that continued disregard for stakeholders’ concerns could provoke wider resistance across the ports.
Several industry stakeholders present at the meeting voiced support for ANLCA’s position, including Dr Segun Alabi, former Secretary of the ANLCA Election Committee (ASECO); Chairman of the Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Tin Can Chapter, Alhaji Akeem Aribiojo; ANLCA Apapa Chapter Chairman, Mr Emeka Chukwumalu; and ANLCA Tin Can Chapter Chairman, Prince Olawale Cole, among others.
Commending the ANLCA leadership, Dr Alabi said: “It is reassuring to have a leader who will not back down. We are confident that this leadership will protect our collective interest, and we are solidly behind it.”
The planned meeting with the NSC and shipping lines is expected to centre on the recent and proposed increases by shipping companies, which freight forwarding groups insist lack economic justification, given the relative stability in fuel prices and foreign exchange conditions.
