The Nigerian Shippers Council has directed all shipping companies, shipping agents, and terminals operating within Nigerian ports to suspend and refrain from implementing any review or upward adjustment of their charges until they have fully engaged their stakeholders.
Announcing this in a statement on Tuesday, the Head of Public Relations at the NSC, Rebecca Adamu, explained that the recent adjustment was approved strictly in accordance with its statutory mandate as the Port Economic Regulator.
The council affirmed that all tariff reviews were conducted through a transparent, structured, and well-defined regulatory process.
“These processes included detailed technical and consultative engagement with affected service providers, aimed at examining the cost drivers, operational realities, investment obligations, and regulatory compliance,” the statement read in part.
It, however, highlighted that the engagements did not translate to automatic approvals; rather, they informed a broader evaluative process. It added that final determinations were reached only after rigorous internal, technical, and financial assessments guided by empirical evidence, regulatory benchmarks, and prevailing economic conditions.
“Notwithstanding, shipping companies, agents, and terminal operators are hereby directed to suspend any intended review of charges until they have duly consulted and engaged their stakeholders. As the Port Economic Regulator, the NSC will wield the big stick against any port service providers disrupting port operations,” it added.
The NSC emphasised that transparency, fairness, and stakeholder participation are fundamental principles underpinning port economic regulation in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Dr Pius Akutah, further warned that the council is empowered under its regulatory mandate to apply appropriate sanctions against defaulting operators, including enforcement measures provided for under relevant regulatory frameworks.
He encouraged constructive engagement, dialogue, and compliance, warning that any service provider that proceeds with charge reviews without stakeholders’ engagement should be prepared to face decisive regulatory action.
Akutah assured that the NSC remains committed to protecting the interests of port users, promoting fair competition, and ensuring a balanced and predictable business environment within the Nigerian maritime industry.
This is coming days after aggrieved agents shut down the Apapa office of the Mediterranean Shipping Company over freight hikes.
The PUNCH reported on Tuesday that agents operating in the nation’s maritime sector, including members of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria and the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Western Zone, among others, on Monday shut down business operations at the Apapa office of the Mediterranean Shipping Company over the recent hike in charges by shipping companies, lamenting that it would fuel inflation in an already fragile economy.
The aggrieved agents, our correspondent learnt, came out in large numbers at the office of the shipping company, demanding that activities at the company remain closed from 6 a.m. on Tuesday until it reverts to its former charges.
They maintained that the cumulative burden of port-related charges is steadily pushing up the cost of imports, with consequences that will ultimately be borne by consumers.
