Freight agents operating under the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Monday shut down business activities at the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) office in Apapa, Lagos, to protest the recent increase in shipping charges approved by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
ANLCA is demanding the dismissal of the Executive Secretary of the NSC, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima, MON, accusing the Council of approving the tariff hike without adequate consultation with critical industry stakeholders.
Speaking after a tense meeting with MSC management that ended in a deadlock, ANLCA President, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji, described the approval of the new charges as unilateral and insensitive to the prevailing economic realities faced by freight agents and importers.
The protest was led by the ANLCA Western Zone Coordinator, Alhaji Femi Anifowose, and drew support from other industry groups, including the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON).
The demonstration began at about 1:35 p.m. and continued until the close of business, effectively grounding operations at the MSC Apapa office for the day.
At the centre of the dispute are MSC’s revised charges, which include an increase in the Import Documentation Fee for 20-foot containers from ₦45,000 to ₦58,500, and for 40-foot containers from ₦72,000 to ₦93,600. Port Additional Charges were also raised from ₦50,000 to ₦80,000 for 20-foot containers, and from ₦100,000 to ₦160,000 for 40-foot containers.
Freight agents warned that the increases would further escalate the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports and ultimately transfer the burden to consumers, calling on the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
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