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The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for preventing over N86 billion in demurrage losses and recovering an additional N4.54 billion through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, describing the feat as a significant boost to trade facilitation and port efficiency.
In a statement signed by its National President, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, APFFLON congratulated the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the agency’s management team for what it described as a landmark achievement in protecting the interests of Nigerian shippers, freight forwarders and other port users.
The association noted that the Council’s intervention reflects a renewed commitment to transparency, accountability and the protection of cargo owners from avoidable financial losses arising from port operations.
According to APFFLON, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has continued to justify its role as Nigeria’s Port Economic Regulator by promoting fairness within the nation’s maritime sector and safeguarding the interests of stakeholders across the logistics value chain.
While applauding the achievements, the freight forwarding association urged the Council to sustain the momentum by strengthening regulatory oversight and ensuring that terminal operators, shipping companies and other port service providers comply fully with established operational standards.
APFFLON also called on the Council to intensify efforts towards resolving long-standing challenges that continue to undermine the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
The association identified arbitrary charges, excessive cargo clearance delays, poor service delivery by some operators, port congestion and other operational bottlenecks as major concerns that continue to increase the cost of doing business and erode the efficiency of the country’s maritime logistics system.
It further urged the Council to deepen stakeholder engagement, improve the efficiency of its Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism and ensure that the benefits of its regulatory interventions are experienced by all participants in the maritime value chain.
According to the association, sustained reforms are critical to reducing logistics costs, improving the ease of doing business and enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian seaports within the West African sub-region.
APFFLON reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other industry stakeholders to advance policies and reforms that will promote an efficient, transparent and customer-focused port system.
The association concluded by congratulating the Executive Secretary/CEO and the Council’s management team once again, expressing confidence that sustained regulatory reforms would further strengthen Nigeria’s maritime industry and position the country as the preferred maritime and trade hub in West Africa.
