Licensed customs agents have expressed strong opposition to the House Committee on Customs’ support for the proposed hike in agents’ licenses by the Nigeria Customs Service.

The proposed fee hike, which includes a jump from N515,000 to N10m for new licenses and a rise from N215,000 to N4m for renewal fees, has sparked concerns among stakeholders.

According to a report, the NCS has announced plans to review the licensing renewal fees for licensed customs agents, with a new structure set to take effect from January 2026. The service had announced that the decision was taken during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement with executives of various associations, including the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents and the National Association of Government-Approved Freight Forwarders.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Customs & Excise, Leke Abejide, has backed the proposed hike, stating that most of the charges are outdated and need to be revised.

“Before, it was called CEMA as of 1958, so most of these charges are as old as that CEMA,” Abejide said in an interview with Channels Television. “Now that the Act is in operation, everything has to change, and I believe those operators also understand. This is not a new thing; it is the reality on the ground, and it is not that anyone wants to discriminate.”

However, the National President of ANLCA, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji, has faulted Abejide’s comments, describing them as unfortunate. “It’s unfortunate that such a comment is coming from a member of the ANLCA,” Nwokeoji said. “Being a practicing member of licensed agents, because we know he owns a company, for him to make such a comment on a job that is ordinary in every other clime is meant for indigene is very unfortunate.”

Nwokeoji also questioned Abejide’s assertion that licensed agents handle jobs worth between N10bn to N20bn, asking, “How much is the license of an importer who owns the cargo?” He emphasised that the World Customs Organisation stipulates the means and ways of licensing customs brokers all over the world, and that Abejide’s comments were his own opinion.

The proposed fee hike has sparked concerns among stakeholders, who fear that it may fuel inflation and negatively impact the maritime sector. The ANLCA has called on the NCS to reconsider the proposed hike, citing the potential impact on licensed agents and the industry as a whole.