Fresh allegations by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over the alleged manipulation of electronic ship manifests by some international shipping companies deserve urgent attention from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other maritime regulators.
The warning by ANLCA members that they may embark on a protest over the alleged abuse of cargo manifest procedures is not merely another industry disagreement. If the claims are substantiated, they raise fundamental concerns about transparency, trade facilitation, revenue assurance, and the integrity of Nigeria’s cargo clearance system.
The allegations come at a time when the Federal Government is investing heavily in customs modernisation, port digitisation and trade facilitation as part of broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business and position Nigeria as West Africa’s leading maritime and logistics hub. Any practice capable of undermining these reforms deserves prompt investigation.
Speaking on behalf of concerned freight forwarders, former ANLCA Vice President, Kayode Farinto, accused two major international shipping companies of engaging in practices that allegedly distort cargo manifest information and create avoidable bottlenecks in the cargo clearance process.
According to him, some shipping companies electronically declare all containers loaded aboard a vessel as arriving in Nigeria even though only part of the cargo is actually discharged at Nigerian ports, while the remaining containers are retained at transshipment ports such as Cotonou, Lomé or Abidjan for subsequent shipment.
The consequence, he explained, is that when the outstanding containers eventually arrive in Nigeria aboard another vessel, the required amendments are allegedly not made to the electronic manifest already submitted to Customs.
As a result, the Nigeria Customs Service’s automated clearance system treats such cargo as overdue or abandoned because the original manifest has already been processed.
Farinto argued that this development automatically blocks the bills of lading, making electronic declaration impossible and forcing importers and their licensed customs agents to seek manual intervention before cargo can be processed.
According to him, such manual interventions often become fertile grounds for extortion, unnecessary delays and corrupt practices that increase the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
He maintained that terminal operators and Customs Area Commands should not be blamed for delays arising from such situations, insisting that the primary responsibility rests with shipping companies that allegedly fail to properly reconcile cargo movements arising from transshipment arrangements.
The freight forwarding leader therefore called on the Nigeria Customs Service to investigate the operations of the affected shipping lines and apply the sanctions provided under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 wherever violations are established.
He warned that unless decisive action is taken within two weeks, ANLCA members may publicly expose what they described as widespread irregularities affecting cargo clearance.
Whether these allegations are eventually proven or disproved, they raise important policy questions that cannot simply be ignored.
Electronic manifests constitute the foundation upon which modern customs administration operates. Customs risk assessment, cargo selectivity, revenue collection, anti-smuggling operations and trade statistics all depend on the accuracy of information supplied by shipping companies before vessels arrive at port.
Where manifests are inaccurate, incomplete or deliberately misleading, the entire cargo clearance chain is compromised.
Globally, manifest integrity forms one of the pillars of the World Customs Organization’s SAFE Framework of Standards, which promotes advance electronic cargo information to facilitate legitimate trade while enhancing border security.
Nigeria has invested significantly in automating Customs procedures through platforms such as the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II) and, more recently, the indigenous B’Odogwu Trade Management System. These reforms are intended to reduce human contact, eliminate discretion, improve compliance and accelerate cargo clearance.
However, the effectiveness of any automated platform ultimately depends on the accuracy of data supplied into the system.
If cargo information uploaded by shipping companies does not reflect the actual movement of containers, digital reforms become vulnerable to manipulation.
The allegations also deserve attention because they come against the backdrop of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, which place significant emphasis on improving non-oil revenue, facilitating international trade and reducing port inefficiencies.
The maritime sector remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic economic assets. More than 80 per cent of the country’s international trade moves through the nation’s seaports. Every avoidable delay in cargo clearance increases demurrage, storage charges, logistics costs and ultimately the prices paid by Nigerian consumers.
Importers who are forced to spend additional weeks resolving documentation discrepancies inevitably transfer such costs to businesses and households.
The ripple effects extend beyond individual importers to manufacturers waiting for production inputs, exporters requiring empty containers, freight forwarders, terminal operators and the wider economy.
At a time when government is working to attract investment and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), allegations of documentation irregularities and systemic bottlenecks send the wrong signal to international investors.
Nevertheless, fairness demands that the shipping companies mentioned in the allegations be given the opportunity to respond.
Shipping operations involving transshipment are complex and delays may sometimes arise from operational constraints, adverse weather, port congestion or changes in vessel schedules rather than deliberate misconduct.
That is precisely why an independent investigation by the Nigeria Customs Service, working with the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other relevant agencies, has become necessary.
Such an investigation should establish whether manifest discrepancies exist, determine their causes, identify those responsible and recommend corrective measures where necessary.
Should violations be established, the sanctions provided under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 should be applied without fear or favour.
Conversely, if the allegations are found to be inaccurate, the findings should equally be made public to preserve confidence in Nigeria’s port system.
Beyond this specific dispute, there is an urgent need for stronger real-time integration between shipping lines, Customs, terminal operators and port community systems to ensure that every amendment arising from transshipment is immediately reflected across all electronic platforms.
Modern customs administration cannot succeed where different actors operate on inconsistent cargo data.
Nigeria’s ambition of becoming Africa’s preferred maritime gateway will depend not only on improved infrastructure but also on transparency, data integrity and strict regulatory compliance.
The warning issued by ANLCA should therefore not be dismissed as another industry quarrel. It presents regulators with an opportunity to strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s port processes, reinforce the credibility of ongoing customs reforms and demonstrate that no operator is above the law.
The Nigeria Customs Service has earned commendation in recent years for pursuing automation, intelligence-driven enforcement and trade facilitation. This is another opportunity to reinforce those achievements through a transparent investigation that protects legitimate commerce while deterring practices capable of encouraging corruption.
Ultimately, efficient ports depend on one simple principle: every container declared must be accurately accounted for, every manifest must reflect reality, and every participant in the logistics chain must be held to the same standard of accountability. Only then can Nigeria build the efficient, transparent and globally competitive port system its economy urgently requires
