The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has petitioned the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over the extra charges imposed on exports by the recently introduced call-up system and export terminal operations at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and signed by APFFLON’s President, Frank Ogunojemite, the freight forwarders lamented that the newly introduced call-up arrangement has created operational confusion and imposed additional financial burdens on port users.
The group, in the letter made available to The Guardian yesterday, stated that exporters are now confronted with additional charges and bureaucratic bottlenecks, which significantly discourage exports and run counter to the national agenda of boosting non-oil exports.
According to the freight forwarders, under the new system, one of the companies managing the process collects N35,000 on each container of both export and import, regardless of container size, while another operator of the electronic call-up system charges N15,000 plus 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) for each transaction.
The group said the development is troubling in light of the Federal Government’s continuous efforts to reduce the cost of port operations, promote the ease of doing business, and reposition Nigeria as a maritime hub in West Africa.
“Adding more cost layers through a duplicative or commercially driven call-up system undermines these objectives and threatens Nigeria’s regional competitiveness,” the group warned.
Furthermore, the freight forwarders lamented that the situation at the export terminal in Onne Port is equally alarming.
The freight forwarders warned that these inefficiencies, new charges, rising costs, and bureaucratic bottlenecks at the export terminal not only impede business operations but also risk driving exporters to neighbouring ports in other West African countries.
“While we understand the importance of orderliness and traffic management around port environments, it is worrisome that this call-up system has been introduced at Onne Port with associated costs, especially when the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) already has facilities that can effectively manage traffic without incurring additional charges to port users,” the group stated.
The freight forwarders urged the NPA to immediately suspend the call-up system at Onne Port pending a comprehensive stakeholder consultation and cost-benefit analysis, and to address the multiple levies currently being imposed on exporters and importers.
The group also called on the Authority to ensure uniform policy implementation across all port terminals, particularly where operators like WACT already have functional systems in place to manage truck movement and port access.
“Address the bottlenecks and extra charges associated with the export terminal at Onne in order to encourage export activities and align with the Federal Government’s trade facilitation policies. Involve stakeholders in policy formulation and review processes, as collaboration remains the key to achieving sustainable port reforms,” the group added.
The freight forwarders further urged the NPA management to uphold fairness and transparency in port reforms to protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and sustain the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
