Operational disruptions from street-style protests by stakeholders in the maritime industry, leading to physical shutdowns and obstruction of port facilities, are costing an estimated daily loss of between N3 billion and N5 billion in delayed cargo, demurrage, storage charges and lost productivity, according to a new financial impact assessment by the Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC).
Also, a policy memorandum by the research body dated January 14, 2026, and addressed to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council said unregulated shipping, terminal and other port charges, regulatory ambiguity and disruptive industrial actions on port operations, may cost Nigeria between N500 billion and N700 billion yearly in trade inefficiencies.
The research body provided a post-protest assessment of recent shutdowns of the Apapa port corridor triggered by increases in shipping line and terminal charges, with knock-on effects on headline prices and competitiveness.
According to the group financial assessment report and memorandum signed by the Head of Research at SEREC, Dr Eugene Nweke, the Apapa port corridor processes over 60 per cent of containerised imports, conservatively estimated at between 1.5 million and 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) yearly.
The report revealed that importers using the Apapa port corridor currently face an average charge of between N150,000 and N250,000 per container, which, when applied across that container volume, translates to an added cost burden of between N225 billion and N450 billion annually.
SEREC estimated that port and shipping charges affect logistics costs, which now account for between 30 and 40 per cent of the total landing cost of some imports, stressing that these additional costs are passed through the supply chain to manufacturers, importers, small and medium-sized enterprises and, ultimately, consumers.
SEREC warned that every 10 per cent increase in logistics costs is associated with a 1.5 to 2 per cent rise in consumer prices, particularly affecting food items, pharmaceuticals and industrial inputs, which adds approximately 0.7 to 1.2 percentage points to Nigeria’s yearly headline inflation.
The report noted that while the suspension directive issued by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has provided short-term relief, the episode reveals systemic regulatory weaknesses with direct macroeconomic consequences.
On regional trade competitiveness, the report warned that Nigeria’s relatively high port costs could lead to the diversion of between 10 and 15 per cent of West African transit cargo to neighbouring ports.
With reforms, the research centre projected the retention and recovery of this transit cargo, strengthening Nigeria’s ambition to serve as a regional maritime hub.
The report also underscored rising legal and financial risks associated with unlawful port protests, with an estimated potential litigation and liability exposure exceeding N100 billion over time for associations and operators.
SEREC cautioned that such disruptive industrial actions expose freight forwarding practitioners and their associations to potential civil liability claims that could run into tens of billions of naira, further weakening an already fragile sector.
SEREC noted that if targeted policy reforms are implemented, including a structured national tariff review and approval framework, as well as mandatory cost-justification disclosures by service providers, Nigeria could achieve a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in unjustified charges, resulting in yearly savings estimated at between N200 billion and N400 billion for the economy.
