WAF Shipping Focus: Week 34
- Agwe Logistics Solutions
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria
(APFFLON) has thrown its support behind the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS)
indigenous platform, B-Odogwu, while urging stakeholders to exercise patience
during the ongoing transition. The association acknowledged that while the shift
may bring initial disruptions, it represents a significant step towards modernizing
Nigeria’s customs operations. In a statement signed by its President, Otunba Frank
Ogunojemite, APFFLON said the platform’s domestication of technology, improved
revenue generation, increased operational transparency, and enhanced data
sovereignty were key benefits. “We fully recognise that such a transition can bring
initial disruptions. However, we urge all stakeholders to see this as a progressive
step towards building a more resilient and efficient port and border opera-on
system. We encourage open dialogue and constructive feedback to ensure that the transformation process reflects the needs of all players in the industry”
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Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa, has reiterated its
commitment to strengthening collaboration across the maritime sector to improve operational efficiency, accelerate cargo clearance, and boost Nigeria’s trade competitiveness. The call came during the company’s Partners’ Engagement Forum in Lagos, an annual event bringing together key players in the supply chain, including port operators, government agencies, shipping lines, importers, exporters, and freight forwarders. Chief Executive Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, opened the forum by expressing gratitude to customers for their trust and continued business despite the challenges affecting the global supply chain. He noted that many of these difficulties, such as congestion, delays, and fluctuating freight costs, are not unique to Nigeria but require a concerted, localised response to ensure the country’s ports remain competitive.
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The Federal Government has announced plans to replicate the Lekki Deep Seaport
model across Nigeria’s maritime sector as part of efforts to modernise and
transform the nation’s ports into globally competitive trade gateways. Adegboyega
Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, disclosed this on Tuesday while
speaking at the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping Breakfast Meeting in Lagos, themed “Unlocking Opportunities: The Lekki Deep Seaport Playbook for Trade and Shipping in Nigeria.” Oyetola described the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Seaport as a “landmark achievement” and a “game-changer” for West Africa, citing its operational efficiency, job creation potential, and ability to attract foreign investment. He noted that the facility, with a handling capacity of 1.2 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), has already eased conges-on at Nigerian ports by improving road access and eliminating bottlenecks.
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Sen. Dayo Adeyeye, Board Chairman, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), says Nigeria
will witness a vast and viable economic growth in the next five years through the
Blue Economy. Adeyeye stated this on Tuesday while speaking as guest lecturer at
a public lecture organised by the Centre for Blue Economy and Innovation,
Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Oki-pupa,
Ondo State. The lecture was titled: “Imperative of Blue Economy In Driving Nigeria’s Economic Development.” Adeyeye, a former Senator representing Ekiti South, said that Blue Economy was a wealth generating activities relating to the ocean, seas, coastal environment and inland waters. He added that the concept of Blue Economy was an outcome of the Rio+20 Conference by the United Nations
Convention on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in 2012 which focused on life
below water. Adeyeye also said that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA) report in a recent study revealed that there was $296
billion untapped wealth for Nigeria alone from the Blue Economy.
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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged in a high-level consultation with
the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on the implementation of the Unified Customs Management System, more commonly known as B’Odogwu. The NCS says the engagement is in line with its modernisation drive and commitment to trade facilitation. In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service; Dr Abdullahi Maiwada; an Assistant Comptroller of Customs, the top level engagement follows concerns raised by freight forwarders and licensed customs agents regarding delays and demurrage linked to the Customs B’Odogwu rollout. According to the statement, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi met with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Ukeyima, on Monday, at the Nigeria Customs Service’s headquarters, Abuja. The engagement provided a platform to deliberate on practical solutions aimed at mitigating the inconveniences experienced by operators, the statement added.
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The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF)
has dissociated itself and its members from the planned shutdown of operations at the Apapa Port reportedly being organised by a coalition of customs licensed agents and freight forwarding associations. In a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday, the association’s National President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, stressed that NAGAFF would not support any action capable of disrupting port activities or undermining Nigeria’s economic interests. Ezisi clarified that under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the nomenclature of licensed customs clearing agents had been repealed and replaced with “customs representatives.” He noted that some members of the coalition pushing for the shutdown still operate under the old terminology, which is no longer recognised under the extant laws, including the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Act 2007. “As the umbrella body representing the interests of freight forwarders across Nigeria, NAGAFF remains committed to constructive engagement, lawful advocacy, and professional conduct in addressing industry concerns.
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