The Shippers Association of Lagos State, SALS, has raised concerns over what it described as crippling operational hurdles at the Lagos ports, listing multiple levies, illegal checkpoints, arbitrary stoppage of containers, prolonged delays, excessive bureaucracy, and a system that punishes compliant traders as major barriers to trade.
SALS President, Nicodemus Odolo, made the observations on Wednesday during the 2025 Shippers’ Day celebration in Lagos.
He warned that the worsening operational climate is discouraging Nigerians from participating in import and export activities, adding that the number of active shippers continues to decline due to the increasingly hostile business environment.
This year’s event, themed “Challenges Between Revenue Generation and Trade Facilitation,” featured presentations from key sector regulators, including the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, and other port stakeholders.
Odolo lamented that shippers who attempt to comply fully with regulations often face longer delays and additional costs.
“My own cargo can remain in the port for three months simply because I want to follow due process. In Nigeria, anyone who chooses to do things the right way suffers for it, while those who cut corners are rewarded,” he said.
He also condemned the practice of security operatives intercepting export-bound containers on highways to question Customs duties, describing it as unlawful and beyond their statutory powers.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah, spoke on the issue of multiple and overlapping taxes imposed across the logistics chain.
He noted that inconsistent fiscal measures distort market pricing, create uncertainty, and diminish Nigeria’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub.
Akutah acknowledged the concerns expressed by stakeholders regarding the Nigeria Customs Service’s four per cent levy on the Free on Board value of imported goods.
He assured participants that the NSC has commenced consultations with relevant authorities to ensure that any policy changes are properly evaluated, harmonised, and aligned with national economic priorities.
“Fiscal policies within the port ecosystem should enhance trade, not hinder it,” he said. “Our commitment is to champion reforms that promote fairness, transparency, and efficiency.”
Delivering a paper titled “National Single Window: Simplifying Trade Processes for Nigerian Shippers,” the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the Federal Government’s unified digital trade platform is projected to help drive economic growth to $1 trillion by the first quarter of 2026.
Adeniyi, represented by Mohammed Babandede, the Zonal Coordinator of Zone A, explained that the National Single Window will bring together all trade and regulatory agencies under a centralised digital system, enabling smoother operations, fewer bottlenecks, and improved revenue performance.
He also clarified that the National Single Window and the B’Odogwu system are interconnected components of Nigeria’s evolving digital trade framework.
According to him, both systems will operate collaboratively to align Nigeria’s trade processes with global standards, reduce duplication, eliminate delays, and improve transparency for shippers and traders.
Shippers raise alarm over arbitrary container stoppages, excessive levies at Lagos ports
