Cargo owners are counting losses at the nation’s ports due to the persistent system downtime at designated duty collection banks, which freight forwarders claim has paralysed processing and payments of Customs duty since September 1, 2025, causing massive financial losses.
Freight forwarders expressed their displeasure in a petition to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, a copy of which was sent to The Guardian yesterday.
In the petition by the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) signed by its National President, Frank Ogunojemite, they lamented that the banking disruption has crippled port operations, delayed cargo clearance processes, and led to cascading financial losses running into billions of naira in demurrage and storage charges.
The group noted that many freight forwarders, importers and the broader trading public have been unable to access and process payments through the First Bank’s platform, leading to missed shipment deadlines, supply chain disruptions, and what it called an “involuntary accumulation” of charges.
The freight forwarders noted that despite repeated complaints lodged at the branch and regional levels, there had been no official communication, redress, or contingency plan offered by the bank to mitigate the damages.
“The continued silence and inaction in the face of this nationwide failure of service is deeply concerning and unacceptable,” the group stated.
APFFLON urged the minister to immediately probe the cause of the prolonged downtime and direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enforce accountability in service uptime, reliability, and responsiveness among designated duty-collecting banks.
The freight forwarders also urged the Minister to engage the Nigeria Customs Service to consider temporary waivers or alternative payment channels to reduce the burden of demurrage on affected importers.
They called for banks to be held financially responsible for the losses businesses have incurred due to the disruption and failure to provide critical services.
According to APFFLON, the situation undermines the Federal Government’s ease of doing business agenda and inflicts avoidable hardship on traders struggling to stay afloat in a difficult economy.
“We urge your swift and decisive intervention in this matter. APFFLON remains committed to supporting government efforts in trade facilitation, but we cannot overlook systemic failures that cripple our industry,” the letter stated.
MEANWHILE, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the exemption of goods and passenger baggage not exceeding $300 from import duties and taxes, which takes effect September 8, 2025.
The exemption follows the new De Minimis threshold value for low-value consignments imported through express shipments or passenger baggage regulations approved by the Nigeria Customs Service Board and established by the national legislation.
The approval was granted at the 63rd regular meeting of the NCSB held on September 2, 2025, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun.
In a statement yesterday by the National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Assistant Comptroller, Dr Abdullahi Maiwada, noted that the new regulation aligned with the best global practices to simplify clearance processes for low-value consignments, enhance trade facilitation, and provide clarity for e-commerce stakeholders and travellers.
