Connect with us

Headlines

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.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Customs

How NPA’ s ETO call- up system hampers seamless export processes at Lilypond Terminal — Customs

Funso OLOJO 
The Customs Area Controller of the Lilypond Export Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, has attributed the persistent delay in export cargo movement at the command to logistics issues associated with the Nigerian Port Authority’s Eto call-up system, rather than any bottlenecks from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Eto call- up system is a structured movement of container- laden trucks into the terminals meant to decongest Port access road and facilitate quick goods clearance at the port.
It was developed by the NPA and driven by a private company.
However, Comptroller Odusanya, speaking at a Roundtable with members of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN),emphasized that while the command has streamlined the export process,  lack of available slots for trucks to enter the ports remains a major challenge.
 He noted that despite the command’s efforts, numerous containers remain stranded at Lilypond due to the inability of trucks to secure clearance under the Eto system.
He explained that prior to the implementation of a centralized export processing system, multiple customs units across Apapa, Tin Can, PTML, and Lekki ports handled export documentation.
However, in July 2024, the government directed the full centralization of all export processes under the Lilypond Export Command.
This move, driven by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and backed by agencies such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), was aimed at streamlining operations and reducing multiple checkpoints.
Odusanya revealed that between January and December 2024, the command processed exports valued at approximately $1.9 billion, a figure that could have been higher if the consolidation had occurred earlier in the year.
He added that in February 2025 alone, the command facilitated exports worth $225.1 million.
He attributed these successes to inter-agency collaboration, with Customs working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and quarantine services, among others.
Despite the improved export facilitation, Odusanya acknowledged that challenges persist, particularly with the Eto call-up system, which has created logistical constraints.
 He explained that export containers often get delayed at Lilypond not due to customs processes but because of congestion at the ports, caused by import containers awaiting clearance.
He pointed out that while Apapa remains the busiest port for exports, the congestion problem is less severe at Tin Can due to the presence of an export processing terminal.
On the issue of the Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) form, Odusanya stated that the command has ensured compliance with all regulatory requirements.
 He, however, acknowledged exporters’ concerns about the process and assured that Customs is working to facilitate seamless trade while ensuring adherence to financial regulations.
He urged maritime stakeholders, including the media, to continue sensitizing exporters on the ease of processing export goods through Lilypond, emphasizing that the command operates transparently and does not condone extortion.
He reiterated that officers at the entry points are strictly there to verify processed cargo and not to serve as an additional checkpoint.
Odusanya concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the Lilypond Export Command to supporting Nigeria’s growing export sector, ensuring efficiency in cargo movement, and addressing any emerging challenges in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Continue Reading

Economy

Dangote group remits N402.3 billion tax to government coffers in 2024

Gloria Odion 
The Pan African Conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited and its subsidiaries, have disclosed that it paid over N402 billion in taxes in 2024, making it the highest taxpayer in the country.
Dangote’s Chief Branding and Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina, declared during a meeting with some senior media executives who visited him in his Lagos Office.
He said Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and its subsidiaries, namely, Dangote Cement, NASCON, Dangote Packaging Limited among others, remitted a total of N402.319billion for the out-gone year as taxes as responsible business enterprises.
Recall that Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had in late 2024 recognised  Dangote group and its subsidiary, Bluestar Shipping as the most tax compliant organizations in the country during its Special Day at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The Federal Inland Revenue Service is Nigeria’s agency responsible for assessing, collecting and accounting for tax and other revenues accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Chiejina told his visitors that as a responsible business organisation, DIL and its subsidiaries have never shieded away from its obligations either to the government in the form of tax payment at all levels or to host communities in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
According to him, the Group’s corporate strategy has evolved just as its businesses have grown, matured and diversified into new sectors and regions over the last four decades.
He noted that Dangote Group has almost single-handedly taken Nigeria to self-sufficiency in cement and refined petroleum products and is expanding rapidly across Africa.
Dangote Group and its subsidiaries were recognised as number one most compliant in tax payment in the country, just as its subsidiary Dangote Cement, the country’s leading cement manufacturer, at another occasion won three awards at the FMDQ Gold Awards in Lagos as the most active business in the Foreign Exchange market.
Dangote Cement Plc was adjudged as the Largest Commercial Paper Quotation on FMDQ and Single Largest Corporate Debt Issue on FMDQ.
 Also, Dangote Industries Ltd also emerged as the “Most active corporate in the foreign exchange market”.
Continue Reading

Headlines

NIWA Chairman charges Oyebamiji to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways

Funso OLOJO 
The newly appointed Chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hon.Musa Sarkin-Adar, has charged the management team of the Authority led by its Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways.
Musa Sarkin-Adar, who paid a
 familiarization visit to the management team of NIWA in its Abuja liaison office, in a bid to minimize boat mishaps on the waterways.
He believed it would be a lasting legacy for the present leadership of NIWA if accidents could be minimized on the Waterways.
The Chairman’s advice is however in alignment with the NIWA’ s resolve to stamp out wooden and rickety boats on waterways.
However, Musa Sarkin-Adar further encouraged the NIWA team to do more in connecting other states in the water transportation.
He emphasized on the need for the involvement of the private sector in the development of water transportation, as government cannot do it alone.
In his response, Oyebamiji expressed appreciation for the visit and encouraging words of the chairman and pledged the commitment of of NIWA management to make the nation’s waterways safe and secure.
Oyebamiji also commended the efforts of his management team in the development of the Inland Waterways
Transportation sub-sector.
According to him, he is blessed with an experienced and dedicated team which he cannot take the glory alone.
The Chairman’s visit was attended by all the management staff of the Authority.
Continue Reading

Trending