By Sandra Chukwunyere
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) 100% Compliance Team has suspended its planned strike following a resolution with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Maritime Police Command over the controversial blockage of containers at Nigerian ports.
National Coordinator of the NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, announced the suspension on Friday during a press briefing at the association’s office in Apapa, Lagos.
The decision followed a meeting held on Thursday, August 27, at the NPA headquarters in Marina, Lagos, where representatives of the NPA, Maritime Police Command, Department of State Services (DSS), NAGAFF and other relevant stakeholders discussed concerns raised by freight forwarders.
The major issue was the alleged continued blocking of containers by the Maritime Police even after the consignments had gone through Customs processes and were cleared for release.
Tanko said freight forwarders had become increasingly concerned about the delays and additional costs allegedly caused by the practice, particularly where containers were blocked without specific intelligence linking them to wrongdoing.
He recalled that the Maritime Police had earlier engaged the association over the issue, with the AIG of the Maritime Police Command, AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, fsi, promising to look into the complaints and reduce the number of blocked containers.
However, Tanko maintained that there should be no blanket blocking of containers based simply on suspicion that a consignment might contain undeclared goods.
«“There is no way you can tell me all the ships and all the manifests are suspected to carry another thing. The whole container coming into the country cannot be under investigation,” he said.»
According to Tanko, the subsequent meeting organised by the NPA provided a clearer direction on how intelligence and regulatory issues should be handled at the ports.
He said the NPA management informed stakeholders that the Federal Government had issued a directive aimed at achieving zero blockage of containers by the Maritime Police.
Tanko explained that where intelligence suggests that a container requires further investigation, the matter should be referred to the appropriate government agency instead of the Police independently blocking the cargo.
For customs-related issues, he said the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should take the lead, while suspected narcotics consignments should be referred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Three Key Resolutions
Tanko identified three major resolutions reached at the meeting.
The first is the decision to ensure zero blockage of containers by the Maritime Police.
The second is that intelligence-led holds on containers should be referred to the Nigeria Customs Service for appropriate action.
The third is a move to reduce the number of government agencies physically operating within the ports to five, in line with efforts to improve trade facilitation and ease of doing business.
He said agencies including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would, under the new arrangement, access the ports primarily when their specialised intervention is required.
Tanko said the measures were expected to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic procedures and improve the movement of cargo through the ports.
He also disclosed that stakeholders had been directed to report any container blocked by the Maritime Police after the August 27 meeting.
«“We are not expecting to see any blockage from yesterday, whatsoever the reason,” Tanko said.»
NAGAFF to Monitor Implementation
Tanko said the association would begin monitoring compliance with the resolutions through its enforcement officers from next week.
He warned that any container blocked after the August 27 agreement would be treated as a fresh violation and reported to the relevant authorities.
«“If there is any blockage before that day, they will unblock it. But if there is a blockage after yesterday, it is another issue on its own,” he stated.»
He said NAGAFF would channel specific cases directly to the authorities responsible for addressing them whenever fresh incidents occurred.
Tanko also acknowledged that freight forwarders had previously directed some complaints to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, but said the latest engagement had provided greater clarity on the appropriate channel for handling police-related container blockage.
He said the association would therefore engage the relevant authorities directly whenever such incidents occurred.
Why NAGAFF Suspended the Strike
Explaining the decision to suspend the planned industrial action, Tanko said strike action should always be considered a last resort after dialogue and other avenues of engagement had been exhausted.
He said the association decided to suspend the action because, according to him, the major issues contained in its petition had been addressed through the resolutions reached at the NPA meeting.
«“We are calling off the strike because what we complained about, a decision has been taken in our favour. So why are you going for strike? No reason,” he said.»
Apart from container blockage, Tanko said the association had also raised concerns about the large number of government agencies operating at the ports and the issue of multiple or excessive sampling of cargo.
He expressed confidence that reducing the number of agencies physically present at the ports, while allowing specialised agencies to intervene when necessary, would help reduce delays and improve the operating environment for importers, exporters and freight forwarders.
Tanko said the association’s intervention was not aimed at undermining government agencies but at ensuring that each agency operates within its statutory responsibility while supporting the Federal Government’s ease-of-doing-business agenda.
He argued that continued blockage of containers by agencies without direct responsibility for customs clearance could undermine ongoing efforts to improve the business environment at the ports.
Stakeholders Attend Meeting
Tanko said representatives of the NPA, Maritime Police Command and DSS attended the meeting, alongside other relevant officials.
He disclosed that the Maritime Police delegation included the AIG, Commissioner of Police and an Assistant Commissioner of Police, while port managers were also represented.
Although NAGAFF had requested the participation of shipping lines, terminal operators and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Tanko said the NPA considered their presence unnecessary because the meeting was primarily focused on communicating and implementing the Federal Government’s directive.
Tanko also dismissed suggestions that NAGAFF had raised the issue of container blockage without evidence, insisting that the association had documentation supporting its complaints and was prepared to provide such evidence whenever required.
He said the immediate priority was now to ensure that the resolutions reached at the meeting were implemented across the ports.
With the suspension of the planned strike, NAGAFF urged freight forwarders and other port users to remain vigilant and report any fresh case of container blockage by the Maritime Police through the appropriate channels.
The association said it would continue to engage relevant government authorities to ensure that the resolutions lead to improved cargo clearance, reduced delays and a more efficient operating environment at Nigerian ports.
