FG sensitises S’East, S’South stakeholders on 2026 NSW implementation

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 through 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 the 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 also imposed additional financial burdens on port users.
 
The association, 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 association said the development is counter to 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.

MEANWHILE, the National Single Window (NSW) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has deepened understanding and support for the ongoing implementation of the NSW project among stakeholders in the South-East and South-South region.
 
The NSW project, according to the organisers, which is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2026, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at achieving the $1 trillion economy by 2030 in line with world economic growth projections for countries.
 
In his welcome address, Director of the NSW Secretariat, Tola Fakolade, emphasised the government’s commitment to simplifying trade processes and improving transparency across Nigeria’s ports.
 
He, however, assured the stakeholders of the Federal Government’s full commitment towards deploying the NSW to enable the country to become a new business destination, while hoping that all bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering trade would be drastically reduced.

Also, the Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Kingsley Igwe, urged stakeholders to take advantage of the system and leverage it in their businesses.
 
In his remark, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, represented by the Zonal Coordinator, Customs Zone C, Headquarters Port Harcourt, Kamal Mohammed, welcomed the stakeholders, insisting that the event was a defining moment for trade facilitation.