The Federal Government’s initiative to decongest Nigerian ports is being hampered by terminal operators at Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) and Port and Cargo Handling Services (P&CHS). This situation is causing rising frustration among clearing agents, especially those under the 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).
Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the National Coordinator of the compliance team, recently expressed his concerns to journalists, accusing TICT and P&CHS of refusing to cooperate with the government's overtime and auction committee. This committee, tasked with decongesting ports by releasing trapped containers, is allegedly being blocked by these terminal operators.
One of the main issues hindering the decongestion efforts is the imposition of demurrage fees by the terminal operators. These fees, which accumulate when containers overstay their allowed time at the terminal, have led to thousands of containers being trapped. The operators have reportedly been unyielding, refusing requests for waivers or other resolutions, even when these containers have been auctioned off by the government.
Despite paying all necessary fees, clearing agents say they still face resistance from terminal operators who prioritize demurrage collection over the larger goal of freeing up port space. Tanko emphasized that this obstruction is hindering not only business activities but also national economic interests.
In response to the ongoing challenges, the 100% Compliance Team is threatening to withdraw their services from the ports if TICT and P&CHS continue to obstruct the decongestion process. The clearing agents believe this could force the government to take stronger action against the terminal operators.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether terminal operators will heed the calls for cooperation or whether further disruptions in freight forwarding services will occur. Either way, the ongoing congestion at Nigerian ports continues to be a significant challenge for both businesses and the government.