The Sea Empowerment Research Centre (SEREC) has called for immediate suspension of street-style shutdowns of port operations and physical enforcement actions arising from tariff adjustments in the maritime industry.
The research centre also called for the establishment of an industry shipping charges review forum involving regulators and stakeholders, and mandatory cost-justification disclosures by shipping lines for any tariff adjustments.
SEREC called for the development of a national port cost benchmarking framework, the strengthening of professional regulatory enforcement to promote orderly advocacy and the institutionalisation of dispute resolution and arbitration mechanisms.
SEREC made the call in a position paper titled ‘Re-Shutdown of Shipping Companies’, issued in response to the industrial action embarked upon by aggrieved freight agents over recent increases in charges by shipping firms on Monday.
The position paper, signed by SEREC’s Head of Research, Dr Eugene Nweke, noted that the latest industrial actions triggered by escalating shipping line charges have drawn national attention to persistent structural imbalances within Nigeria’s port cost regime.
While acknowledging that stakeholder concerns over arbitrary and disproportionate tariff increases are legitimate and well-founded, SEREC stressed that the methods adopted to prosecute such grievances must conform to modern industrial relations standards and international best practices.
“Notwithstanding the legitimacy of the grievances, street-style shutdowns, physical obstruction of business premises, and selective operational disruptions are inconsistent with the image, aspirations and strategic objectives of a modern maritime industry,” the paper stated.
The group warned that such approaches expose practitioners and associations to legal, civil and reputational risks as well as undermine years of efforts to reposition freight forwarding as a regulated, professional, and knowledge-driven vocation.
SEREC said it also creates avoidable collateral damage for cargo interests, importers and indigenous businesses, as well as diverting attention from substantive policy failures by shifting focus from core issues to disruptive tactics.
The research group further acknowledged that shipping and ancillary port charges have risen sharply over the years, far outpacing improvements in service quality and operational efficiency.
The centre also noted that many of the traditional cost justifications advanced by service providers, such as foreign exchange volatility, energy costs, and operational risks, have either stabilised or moderated in recent times.
According to SEREC, the cumulative impact of unchecked charges is inflationary, with direct consequences for businesses, consumers, and the country’s overall economic competitiveness.
These realities, the group stated, underscore the urgent need for reform, transparency and regulatory intervention within the shipping and port services sector,” the centre stated.
SEREC observed that the absence of firm, transparent and enforceable oversight of shipping line tariffs and ancillary charges has encouraged arbitrary pricing, weak cost justification, and the abuse of dominant market positions.
The centre, however, urged the industry’s economic regulator to assert its statutory mandate without fear or favour by establishing tariff review and approval frameworks, enforcing cost transparency, and ensuring meaningful stakeholder consultation.
SEREC also called for sanctions against conduct that undermines industry credibility and advocated for dispute resolution and engagement through institutional channels rather than street-level enforcement.
SEREC concluded that modern industrial advocacy must rely on structured engagement, evidence-based pressure, and established institutional mechanisms, rather than physical confrontation or ad hoc enforcement actions.
