The Nigeria Customs Service recently proposed a drastic hike in licensing and bond fees for agents, freight forwarders, and terminals. Set for January 2026, the plan aims at reform and modernisation but has sparked fears of crippling small operators and disrupting trade. While some agents are proposing extension of licences’ tenure from one year to five years, others are outrightly kicking against the fee hike, ANOZIE EGOLE writes
In August 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service shocked the maritime and trade sectors with a proposal to increase licensing fees for customs agents, freight forwarders, bonded terminals, and ship chandlers. The scale of the proposed hike, proposed to take effect in January 2026 unless revised following stakeholder consultations, was unprecedented. The sweeping adjustments reflect attempts to modernise and reform, but they also carry the risk of affecting small operators and disrupting trade.
A breakdown of the proposed fee shows that the new licence fee jumps from N515,000 to N10m, representing a 1,842 per cent increase; renewal fees rise from N215,000 to N4m. Importers and exporters must now secure bank bonds of N20m, up from N350,000. Bonded warehouses see licence fees soaring from N60,000 to N20m, with renewals at N10m. Terminals require bank bonds of N500m, a 900 per cent surge from N50m.
However, take it or leave it, higher fees may filter out unscrupulous or underqualified players, enhance licensing legitimacy, boost digital integration efforts, and provide additional customs revenue for modernisation and enforcement.
Earlier in August, The PUNCH reported that maritime stakeholders expressed concerns over a possible hike in the licensing renewal fee for Customs agents, citing fears that it may fuel inflation.
According to a report, the Nigeria Customs Service 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 stakeholders’ concerns come as the NCS commences consultations with stakeholders on the planned review of licensing renewal fees. 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 hike, it was learnt, is necessary to align licensing fees with “prevailing economic realities”, including exchange rate fluctuations and new operational demands, as mandated by Sections 103–107 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. The fee structure, Customs says, is designed to ensure that only compliant, competent agents remain in the system, promoting accountability and service quality.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders opined that reducing the frequency of licence renewals from one to two years could decrease the administrative burden on businesses and the NCS.
They believed that a longer licence period could simplify compliance procedures, allowing businesses to focus on their core activities.
Stakeholders speak
While some stakeholders believe that the fee hike and other charges at the port may compound financial pressure across industries, others are proposing the review of the tenure of the licence from one year upwards.
The Ports & Terminal Multipurpose Chapter Chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Thompson Alor, said, “The increase is not what they should be thinking about now; the normal fee is good. What the government should be thinking about is extending the licence tenure from one to five years. People are still arguing on that price; licensed agents are not happy; they have said no to that. I think they are planning to meet with the management of the NCS to discuss that. What we want is to extend the tenure at the same rate because we can’t be renewing the licence every year.”
A chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Joe Sani, in a document sent to The PUNCH on Monday, explained that the current licensing fee is difficult to sustain for over 90 per cent of freight forwarders.
“Customs brokers plead for retention of the N215,000.00 per year per licence and increase the number of years to two or three years for renewals. The NCS should note that even the current licensing fees are very difficult to sustain and maintain for over 90 per cent of owners, due to the economic hardship/realities and the diverting of almost 95 per cent of customs brokerage jobs by some privileged individuals who later sublet to others and some foreigners, despite the existence of laws against foreigners’ participation in customs brokerage, entrenched in the NCS Act 2023,” Sani said.
In April, The PUNCH reported that the National President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, Frank Ogunojemite, recommended a two-year validity period for brokerage licences issued by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Ogunojemite, in a statement, stated that the extension of the NCS licences from annually to biennially could have numerous benefits for licensed agents as well as the NCS.
He itemised some of these benefits to include “reduced administrative burden, lower economic costs of agents, increased efficiency, enhanced predictability, among others”.
The seasoned freight forwarder added that a two-year period could also enable businesses to plan more effectively, making it easier to manage logistics and supply chains.
Ogunojemite maintained that a longer licence period could provide greater predictability for businesses, allowing them to make more informed decisions.
“Extending the licence period could reduce the costs associated with frequent renewals, such as application fees and documentation costs. Businesses would need to devote fewer resources to ensuring ongoing compliance,” Ogunojemite said.
The freight forwarder equally argued that a two-year licence period could allow for more thorough risk assessments, enabling Customs to better identify and mitigate potential security risks, even as enhanced monitoring is attained.
A maritime research group under the auspices of the Sea Empowerment and Research Centre has stated that the proposed increase in customs agent licence fees would adversely affect small and medium-sized enterprises.
This came as the group maintained that such an increase would be detrimental to the customs brokerage industry and the economy as a whole, stressing that the move should be halted.
The Head of Research at SEREC, Mr. Eugene Nweke, disclosed this in a statement obtained by The PUNCH over the weekend.
SEREC recommends that licensing fees be set at a level that strikes a balance between the need for regulatory oversight and the need to promote competition and efficiency in the customs clearance process.
The group added that a tiered fee structure based on the type of service or level of licence would be more suitable.
“We are concerned that the proposed increase would disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises, which may struggle to absorb the increased costs. We believe that the proposed increase could lead to increased costs for traders, negatively impacting trade facilitation and economic growth,” SEREC stated.
The group added that they are supporting the implementation of a tiered licensing system, “with different levels of licenses based on factors such as experience and specialisation. This would promote professionalism and efficiency in the customs clearance process.”
According to SEREC, licensing requirements should focus on demonstrating competence in customs procedures, tariff classification, valuation, and origin determination.
SEREC proposes a tiered, competency-based licensing approach: smaller businesses pay lower rates, and others higher, structured by specialisation. They also back continuous training and fair review of fees.
A seasoned agent, Ikechukwu Ejims, has warned that the agents will pass the burden down to importers and ultimately consumers, triggering price increases across the economy.
“The hike could marginalise indigenous agents, open the door to foreign operators, particularly Chinese logistics firms, and harm domestic industry,” freight forwarder Ignatius Egoh warned.
Meanwhile, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a recent chat with The PUNCH, debunked the figures contained in the document, stressing that there was nothing of the sort by the Service.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that the modernisation process of the Service demands bold reform, and the truth is that only robust, well-resourced operators should stay in the system, ostensibly to protect trade integrity. The proposed hike in licensing and bond fees by the NCS is consequential. It lies at the intersection of revenue policy, trade facilitation, and regulatory reform. While modernisation is needed, the scale and immediacy of these hikes raise questions about proportionality and equity. The path Nigeria chooses, flattening burdens across the board or adopting a more nuanced, tiered system, will shape the fate of customs agents, importers, bonded terminal operators, and the broader business environment. Beyond the numbers, the final decision will signal whether Nigeria is leaning toward inclusive reform or a streamlined but potentially exclusionary regulatory future.
