|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has called on the Federal Government to strengthen the regulatory capacity of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) in line with its statutory mandate, warning that the incessant approval of increased shipping and terminal operators’ charges poses serious risks to the national economy.
In a petition addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APFFLON stressed that any review or approval of port-related charges must be preceded by robust, transparent and inclusive stakeholder engagement involving freight forwarders, importers, exporters, manufacturers and other critical players in the maritime value chain.
Speaking with journalists during a press conference on Tuesday, APFFLON National President, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, argued that decisions taken without broad consultations undermine confidence in regulation and fail to reflect the real operating environment at the nation’s ports.
He noted that the protests which occurred on Monday and Tuesday at the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Apapa could have been avoided if stakeholder-driven engagements formed the basis of reviews of charges.
He also stressed that cost adjustments, where unavoidable, should be justified, gradual and aligned with national economic objectives.
According to APFFLON, meaningful consultations would help balance commercial interests with the Federal Government’s agenda of reducing port costs, improving ease of doing business and enhancing port competitiveness.
Meanwhile, APFFLON warned that the continued escalation of port charges has placed unbearable pressure on importers, exporters and logistics operators, with the burden ultimately transferred to Nigerian consumers through higher prices of goods. The association noted that the trend has also encouraged cargo diversion to neighbouring countries, resulting in revenue losses to government and weakening Nigeria’s position as a preferred maritime hub in the sub-region.
The group expressed concern that the regulatory posture of the NSC appears to have weakened in recent years, calling for urgent reforms to reposition the Council as a firm economic regulator and protector of shippers’ interests, rather than a clearing house for cost increases proposed by service providers.
APFFLON urged the Federal Government to immediately review and halt what it described as indiscriminate approvals of shipping and terminal charges, and to order a comprehensive audit of recently approved tariffs to determine their impact on trade, inflation and the cost of doing business.
While encouraging the Executive Secretary of NSC, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima MON, to deploy a hands-on leadership approach to address the multiple cost-related issues at the nation’s seaports, the group appreciated the Council’s decision to suspend increment in shipping charges until robust stakeholders engagements are held.
The association reaffirmed its confidence that decisive government intervention would restore stakeholder confidence, protect local industries and ensure that Nigerian ports operate efficiently, competitively and in line with global best practices.
