…Says importers losing millions to demurrage as clearance time hits 21 days
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has raised fresh concerns over the rising disruption of cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports due to what it described as the “incessant slamming of detention orders” by various units of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Council, Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah, said the practice is worsening cargo dwell time and piling up demurrage and storage charges for importers ultimately driving up the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports.
Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday at a workshop themed “Facilitating Port Efficiency: The Strategic Role of Maritime Police,” Dr. Akutah represented by the Council’s Director of Regulatory Services, Mrs. Margaret Ogbonnah lamented that Nigeria still ranks among countries with the longest cargo dwell time globally.
“While it takes just six hours to clear a container in Singapore and seven days in Lome, clearance in Nigerian ports averages 21 days or more,” he said, adding that this inefficiency has negatively impacted Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business index.
He noted that despite several government efforts to tackle port delays, human-induced bottlenecks chief among them unauthorized police interventions remain a major stumbling block.
The NSC boss revealed that stakeholders had repeatedly reported cases where police operatives place detention orders on duly cleared cargoes, obstruct cargo exits, or intimidate personnel of shipping lines and terminals all under the guise of intelligence reports.
He said investigations by the Council confirmed that many of these actions were carried out without the approval or knowledge of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Maritime Police Command.
This prompted several engagements with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), culminating in a December 11, 2018 directive mandating stakeholders to disregard any police correspondence not signed by the AIG or an authorized officer.
“Despite progress recorded, some infractions persist—either deliberately or due to ignorance,” Akutah added.
“Our focus must remain on achieving international best practices.”
In his submission, the AIG Maritime Police Command, Chinedu Oko, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Chukwuemeka Obasi, said the Maritime Police remain a vital bridge between law enforcement, port operations, and national security.
He disclosed that the Command is realigning its operations under the Marine and Blue Economy reforms through three pillars:
• Operational Streamlining – eliminating overlapping enforcement roles with agencies like Customs, NPA, and NIMASA.
• Technology Integration – deploying digital surveillance and intelligence tools, including those linked to the Deep Blue Project.
• Stakeholder Collaboration – strengthening joint task forces, port committees, and coordinated incident response.
However, he identified persistent challenges, including:
Multiplicity of agencies with overlapping mandates
Insufficient patrol and communication logistics
Weak prosecution of maritime offences
Corruption, illegal checkpoints, and extortion within port corridors.
“These issues hamper efficiency and erode public trust. Stronger institutional coordination and accountability mechanisms are urgently needed,” he said.
The workshop brought together key port stakeholders to examine ways to improve police conduct, streamline enforcement activities, and align Nigeria’s maritime security framework with international best practice.
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