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By Steve Agbota
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Western Zone and other freight forwarding associations, have shut down business operations at the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Apapa over the recent hike in charges by shipping companies.
The aggrieved clearing agents who carried out the operations on Monday said that the hike in charges would fuel inflation in an already fragile economy.
The clearing agents trooped out at the MSC Apapa office stopping operations at about 1:35pm and demanding that activities at the shipping company be closed from 6am on Tuesday and daily until the company reverts to former charges.
The clearing agents said the planned increments, coming barely three years after shipping lines raised tariffs by over 400 percent, are difficult to justify given the relative stabilisation of key cost drivers such as foreign exchange rates and diesel prices.
According to ANLCA, the cumulative burden of port-related charges is steadily pushing up the cost of imports, with consequences that will ultimately be borne by consumers.
Speaking on the issue, the Western Zone Coordinator of ANLCA, Femi Anifowose, said unchecked shipping charges and persistent operational inefficiencies at the ports are undermining trade facilitation and worsening inflationary pressures in Nigeria’s import-dependent economy.
Beyond the impact of rising charges, Anifowose accused shipping companies operating in Apapa of failing to demonstrate social responsibility to their host communities despite generating substantial revenues from Nigeria’s international trade.
The National President of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Frank Ogunojemite who spoke with Daily Sun, condemned the shipping lines for increasing charges without proper consultations consultation.
He frowned with the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council for giving an approval for the shipping company to increase the charges.
He stressed that APFFLON and other freight forwarding associations will resist any hike in charges that will put people under pressure at the ports.
The protests on Monday was joined by the Secretary of the ANLCA Western Zone, Alhaji Idowu Owoade; ANLCA National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Oyeme; Chairman, ANLCA Tincan Island Port Chapter, Prince Olawale Cole; Chairman of KLT Chapter of ANLCA, Chief Ahmed Olajide Bello.
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) also joined the protests with the NAGAFF Tin Can Chapter Chairman, Dr. Emeka Paul Chiedozie; APFFLON Tincan Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Aribiojo; among others.
