Muhammad Basheer HotoroLicensed customs agents operating in Nigeria’s maritime sector have threatened to stage protests against shipping companies over planned increases in shipping and port charges, barring any last-minute reversal.
The agents said they may begin picketing affected shipping companies on Monday, arguing that the proposed fare hikes are ill-timed, coming at a period when business activities are yet to resume fully after the festive holidays.
According to reports, revised tariffs by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) show that import documentation fees for 20-foot containers are set to increase from ₦45,000 to ₦58,500, while charges for 40-foot containers will rise from ₦72,000 to ₦93,600. In addition, port charges for 20-foot containers will increase from ₦50,000 to ₦80,000, and those for 40-foot containers from ₦100,000 to ₦160,000, with the changes taking effect from January 1, 2026.
Speaking with journalists on Sunday, the National Protocols Officer of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Riwane Amuni, said the association would resist any attempt to implement the increases.
“Operations are only resuming fully today. Once we confirm that the increases are being implemented, there will be protests,” Amuni said. “If shipping companies go ahead with this, we may picket their offices.”
Amuni added that the protest would not be limited to MSC alone but could extend to other shipping companies and terminal operators implementing similar charges.
Also reacting, the Apapa Chapter Chairman of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Abayomi Duyile, confirmed that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), the port economic regulator, is aware of the proposed increases and has directed shipping companies to engage stakeholders.
Duyile said the agents had rejected a proposed stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for early January, noting that many operators were still away for the holidays.
“There is no justification for fixing a meeting in the first week of January. We proposed the third week instead,” he said, warning that agents would protest and shut down shipping company offices if the charges were implemented without proper consultation.
He further warned that the fare increases could worsen inflation, as additional costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers.
“With the NSC as the regulator, there must be proper notice and justification before any increase. Whatever we pay will be transferred to Nigerians. This increment is too early and unacceptable,” Duyile said.
Meanwhile, the Western Zone of ANLCA has also criticised the proposed increases, describing them as arbitrary and unjustified.
The zone’s coordinator, Femi Anifowose, said the association had written to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to direct the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and relevant agencies to halt the planned hikes.
He noted that economic indicators often cited by shipping companies, such as fuel prices and foreign exchange rates, have remained relatively stable over the past 18 months.
Efforts to obtain a response from the shipping company involved were unsuccessful, as calls and emails sent to its official contact channels had not been answered as of the time of filing this report.
