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The National Coordinator of the 100 per cent Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Ibrahim Tanko, has sounded the alarm over persistent operational bottlenecks affecting trade facilitation at Nigeria’s ports.
In a statement made available to Harboursandport.com, Tanko highlighted the daily frustrations faced by freight forwarders, despite recent policy reforms introduced by the Comptroller-General of Customs.
While commending the innovations aimed at improving service delivery, he warned that the transition has come with significant challenges and financial losses.
Tanko described the B’Odogwu platform as riddled with inefficiencies, citing frequent network failures, delays in issuing debit notes, and misrouted containers. He noted that items such as pharmaceuticals and spare parts are often wrongly directed to scanning, only to be dropped for physical examination—resulting in additional costs.
He also criticized the difficulty in uploading Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON documentation, which he said can take weeks, further delaying cargo clearance.
Tanko accused shipping and terminal operators of lobbying for increased charges at the National Assembly, despite unresolved operational delays. He alleged that some operators impose demurrage fees even when shippers were granted free days, and warned that freight forwarders would resist any further hikes in charges.
“We bear the brunt while making money for terminal operators. Enough is enough,” Tanko stated.
The statement also condemned what Tanko described as overreach by certain government agencies, including the Agricultural Quarantine Service, SON, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
He claimed these agencies routinely place holds on containers and seize goods beyond their statutory mandates.
Tanko called on authorities to urgently address these issues and prevent growing unrest among freight forwarders, especially as the new Single Window platform is set to be introduced.
“Our concerns are not complaints—they are constructive feedback to help the system work better,” he concluded.
The 100 per cent Compliance Team reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable freight forwarding practices and urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively toward a more efficient and transparent port system.
