The Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) has raised serious concerns over what it called crippling operational challenges at Lagos ports, citing multiple levies, illegal checkpoints, arbitrary container stoppages, extended delays, excessive bureaucracy, and a system that penalizes compliant traders as major impediments to trade.

SALS President, Nicodemus Odolo, highlighted these issues on Wednesday during the 2025 Shippers’ Day celebration in Lagos.

He warned that the deteriorating operational environment is discouraging Nigerians from engaging in import and export activities, noting that the number of active shippers is steadily declining due to the increasingly hostile business climate.

This year’s event, themed “Challenges Between Revenue Generation and Trade Facilitation,” included presentations from key sector regulators, such as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), and other port stakeholders.

Odolo expressed concern that traders who comply fully with regulations often face longer delays and additional costs.

"My own cargo can remain in the port for three months simply because I follow due process. In Nigeria, those who do things correctly are often penalized, while shortcuts are rewarded," he said.

He also condemned security operatives intercepting export-bound containers on highways to question Customs duties, describing the practice as unlawful and beyond their statutory authority.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, addressed the issue of multiple and overlapping taxes along the logistics chain.

He explained that inconsistent fiscal measures distort market pricing, create uncertainty, and reduce Nigeria’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub.

Akutah acknowledged concerns about the Nigeria Customs Service’s four percent levy on the Free on Board (FOB) value of imported goods and assured stakeholders that the NSC has begun consultations with relevant authorities to ensure policy changes are carefully evaluated, harmonized, and aligned with national economic priorities.

"Fiscal policies within the port ecosystem should facilitate trade, not obstruct it," he said. "We are committed to driving reforms that promote fairness, transparency, and efficiency."

Delivering a paper titled “National Single Window: Simplifying Trade Processes for Nigerian Shippers,” the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the Federal Government’s unified digital trade platform is expected to help drive economic growth to $1 trillion by the first quarter of 2026.

Adeniyi, represented by Mohammed Babandede, Zonal Coordinator of Zone A, explained that the National Single Window will integrate all trade and regulatory agencies under a central digital system, enabling smoother operations, fewer bottlenecks, and improved revenue performance.

He further clarified that the National Single Window and the B’Odogwu system are complementary components of Nigeria’s growing digital trade framework.

According to him, both systems will work collaboratively to align Nigeria’s trade processes with global standards, reduce duplication, eliminate delays, and enhance transparency for shippers and traders.