Members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), among others yesterday disrupted business activities at the offices of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Lagos and Niger Shipping Agencies Limited (LANSAL), and PIL over increase in tariff.

The aggrieved agents, were demanding an immediate reversal to old shipping charges. Speaking during a deadlocked meeting with MSC management in Apapa, the ANLCA Western Zone Coordinator, Femi Anifowoshe, who led the agents described the tariff increase as unfair and unacceptable.

He noted that the shipping companies failed to adhere to the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC)’s order to meet stakeholders’ before they increase charges, sayjng no such meeting had occurred, yet the new charges were enforced.

Also, the Public Relations Officer, ANLCA Tin Can Island Chapter, Emmanuel Onyeme said: “We met with the Shippers’ Council in January, chaired by the Director of Consumer Affairs, Madam Ify.

We were promised a stakeholder engagement, but instead, shipping companies began issuing debit notes with increased rates, ignoring the NSC’s suspension of the charges.”The management of MSC and LANSAL have, however, defended the increment, insisting their actions were carried out with approval from the NSC.

The Managing Director of MSC, Jacob Losso explained that the hike was necessitated by the soaring cost of doing business in Nigeria. He said that the NSC had officially approved the new charges as far back as December 2025.