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Customs, Importers, Shippers rally support  for Shippers’ Council over  effective implementation of ICTN

Funso OLOJO 

The commitment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to drive the implementation of the re- introduced International Cargo Tracking Note(ICTN) got a big boost when critical stakeholders in the maritime industry rallied support for the agency.
At the public discourse convened by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria(MARAN) on Thursday, February 27th, 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria Customs Service, Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN),  the  Shippers Association of Lagos state (SALS) and Sea Empowerment Research Centre (SEREC) took turn to endorse the necessity of the ICTN and the suitability of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to drive its implementation.
At the roundtable, which attracted the creme la creme of the maritime industry, the Zonal Co- Ordinator of Zone A of the Nigeria customs service, Assistant Comptroller- General (ACG) OC Orbih declared that the implementation of the  ICTN represents a significant opportunity to transform Nigeria’s maritime operations and enhance the country’s competitiveness in global trade.
According to the Customs Chief, the controversial concept, which is being opposed by a pocket of stakeholders, will enhance the security of the country.
ACG Orbih declared that the country is under siege of arms and drug dealers, who daily thronge the country with these illicit items.
He said a week hardly passes without the customs handling over seized arms, ammunition and illicit drugs to relevant agencies.
He therefore said any concept such as ICTN that will enhance the intelligence gathering and tracking of cargo into the country should be encouraged.
“The system(ICTN) significantly enhances security and risk management by providing information in advance about cargo, enabling better threat assessment and targeted inspections.
” This enhanced security framework has proven effective in reducing cargo loss and theft in countries that have implemented the system.
“Additionally, the International Cargo Tracking Note will facilitate trade and improve ease of doing business in our ports.
“The system enables pre-arrival processing of cargo information, significantly reducing documentation processing time.
“Furthermore, International Cargo Tracking Note re-introduced by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, offers concrete solutions to long-standing challenges in our ports.
The Customs chief therefore said all stakeholders should rally behind the Nigerian Shippers Council to drive this important project for the benefit of the country.
He said that the concept has proved a huge success at some African, European and South American Countries such as Ghana ,Kenya , Turkey and Brazil , thus appealing for the cooperation of all stakeholders in the country to allow the system to work.
ACG Orbih also addressed the question of legality of the project, saying the Customs Act of 2023 has provided the legal framework for the electronic tracking concept.
He therefore said the service will collaborate with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to ensure the implementation of the electronic tracking system succeeds.
The ACG allayed the fears of cost implications of the concept, saying the benefits derivable from it such as reduction in cargo dwell time and enhanced operational efficiency at the ports far outweigh the cost.
He also revealed that the ICTN is a component of the National Single window where all agencies of government are warehoused to drive seamless cargo delivery system at the ports.
“Let us work together to implement International Cargo Tracking Note in a way that serves our national interests while facilitating international trade” the Customs chief pleaded.
Dr Ibrahim Momuod Mubarak, the representative of the President of Importers Association of Nigeria(IMAN) expressed the support of the association for the ICTN.
He believed that the Nigeria Customs service has cleared all the grey areas about the legal backing while the Shippers’ Council has allayed their fears about the cost.
” The IMAN position is that we want this ICTN but at no cost to an average importer who is an ordinary businessman in Nigeria”Dr Mubarak concluded.
Rev. Jonathan Nicole of the Shippers Association of Lagos state(SALS) expressed indifference to the reintroduction of the ICTN.
According to him, if the concept is based on a solid foundation, it will succeed but if not, he said it would fizzle out like it did the previous years.
Nicole said what an average shipper wants is to get his goods delivered seamlessly to his factory or warehouse with minimal cost.
Dr Eugene Nweke, the former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the incumbent Director of Research, Sea Empowerment Research Center, (SEREC), believed that the implementation of ICTN will add tremendous value to the Nigerian ports system.
He appealed to all stakeholders, especially those who are opposed to the project, to shealth their swords and work for the success of the concept.
Mr C.C Akujobi,the Director of Consumer Affairs Department of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council said the ICTN is a trade facilitation tool which will further enhance the efficiency of the Port.
He noted that other countries in Africa, Europe and South America such as Ghana, Kenya ,Turkey and Brazil have all made a huge success out of the implementation of ICTN.
Akujobi, who represented the Executive Secretary of the Council, Pius Akutah, revealed that about 20 countries in West and Central Africa have embraced the electronic tracking system.
He said that two previous experiences of the project were successful, adding that stakeholders have no cause to be afraid as the concept will enhance their business through seamless cargo delivery system.
” Shippers’ Council is ready to go ahead with the implementation of the system” he declared.
He noted that the pocket of opposition was not surprising as people often oppose new system.
Akujobi however appealed for the support of all the stakeholders to ensure the success of the electronic tracking system.
However, opposition to the concept at the public discourse was spearheaded by the duo of Lucky Ayis Amiwero, the President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and Dr Segun Musa, the Deputy National President of NAGAFF who believed that the concept was a duplication of Customs functions and that it was not tied to a service.
They also claimed that the system lacks legal backing to which the Customs has debunked.
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Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
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Headlines

NANTA Exco embarks on seven-day Ghana retreat, fam trip to deepen regional tourism partnership

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

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Customs

Ogun Customs spurns claims of Smugglers’ takeover of Idiroko–Sango Ota trading Route

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.

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