WAF Shipping Focus: Week 37
- Agwe Logistics Solutions
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers’ Council,
NSC, Dr. Akutah Pius, has called for stakeholders’ engagement to address the
persistent rejection of Nigeria’s exports at the international markets. Dr. Akutah
made the call when the members of the Export Commodity Committee from the
Ministry of Trade & Investment paid a courtesy visit to the NSC’s Headquarters in
Lagos. He urged the committee to extend similar visits to other government
agencies in order to foster collective efforts that would ensure Nigeria’s exports
gain wider recognition and acceptance globally. The NSC Boss reiterated the need
to address the poor quality of Nigeria’s export produce, improper packaging, and
other issues responsible for the rejection of the country’s exports. According to
him, the Council has been facilitating the development of Inland Dry Port projects
across different locations in the country to serve as a hub for indigenous exports.
These facilities he said, bring shipping services closer to the shippers in the
hinterlands.
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Cameroon’s National Shippers’ Council (CNCC) inaugurated the Garoua-Boulaï
logistics and service centre on Sept. 5, aiming to secure and streamline freight
transit along the Douala/Kribi-Bangui corridor. CNCC Managing Director Auguste
Mbappé Penda led the ceremony in the East region, more than 200 kilometres from Bertoua. The project, delayed for two years, addresses a long-standing gap in
transport security and service provision for cross-border truckers. Built on over two
hectares, the site includes parking for 200 trucks, accommodation facilities, a
prayer room, a restaurant and an administrative block. A borehole and a generator
ensure water and electricity supply, providing basic comfort for users. The centre
was designed as a multifunctional hub to reduce uncontrolled parking and mitigate road insecurity that has weighed heavily on the corridor. Strategic Asset “This centre is not just a rest stop for transporters but a source of local jobs, a market outlet for farmers, and a tool to strengthen cohesion between surrounding.
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DEME’s trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), Breughel, is currently engaged in
operations at the Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) in Togo. This strategic port facility
is jointly owned by MSC Shipping and China Merchants Ports Holding, indica)ng its
importance in regional maritime trade. The current project involves both
maintenance and capital dredging of key areas, including the basin, turning basin,
and access channel. These efforts are crucial for ensuring op)mal navigability and
operational efficiency at the terminal. DEME has a long history of involvement in
shaping and maintaining port infrastructure throughout Africa. The company has
reiterated its commitment to the continent through various ongoing dredging
projects in countries such as Nigeria, Guinea, Gabon, and Ivory Coast. Located on
the Gulf of Guinea, the Lomé Container Terminal is ideally situated to function as a
transhipment hub for the West African coast. It plays a vital role as a gateway for
landlocked nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, as well as the northern
regions of Nigeria.
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As part of an extensive modernisation agenda and with a strong commitment to
efficient excise administration, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has successfully
concluded the pilot phase of its Automated Excise Register System, ERS. The formal activation of the ERS follows a series of extensive field activities undertaken by the Service, which includes rigorous User Acceptance Testing, UAT, system validation processes, and comprehensive hands-on training engagements with both Customs officers and excise factory personnel. Building on this progress, the ERS has officially gone live at three key excise facilities across the country: British American Tobacco Nigeria Plc, BATN, in Oyo State, International Tobacco Company Limited in Kwara State, and Leaf Tobacco & Commodities Nigeria Ltd in Kaduna State. These factories were deliberately chosen as pilot sites in recognition of their strategic importance to Nigeria’s excise sector and their capacity to provide a strong foundation for the nationwide rollout.
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The Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) has strongly opposed the newly
introduced 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy by the Nigeria Customs Service, describing it as an “economically dangerous policy” that could worsen inflation, cripple industries, and drive many importers out of business. This position was made clear during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) mee)ng held at its Southwest Zonal Secretariat in Apapa, Lagos. According to IMAN, the levy, which was introduced to replace the1% Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) has already triggered alarming cost increases. Speaking at the mee)ng, the Ac)ng National President and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Gilbert E. Obi, said the levy would immediately raise the cost of essential imports such as gas, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—placing an unbearable burden on industries and consumers. “Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike costs, disrupt supply chains, and destabilize the naira,” Obi warned.
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The Nigerian Ports Authority has announced the successful deployment of
electronic barrier systems across all terminal access points within the Lagos Port
Complex, marking a major step toward automation and operational efficiency in
the country’s busiest seaport. In a statement issued, the NPA explained that the
initiative forms part of its broader efforts to modernise port operations, strengthen
traffic management, and improve transparency in access control. The authority
noted that the installation of the barriers followed extensive consultations with key
industry stakeholders, particularly on the challenge of unauthorized truck
diversions. Such diversions, it explained, had long disrupted traffic flow around the
ports, hindered terminal efficiency, and negatively affected overall productivity. “To
ensure seamless coordination and transparency in truck movements, the electronic barriers have been fully integrated with the Eto Electronic Call-Up System, managed by Messrs. Trucks Transit Parks Limited,” the statement read.
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