Freight Forwarders Decry Cargo Interceptions By Govt Agencies At Seaports

The National coordinator of the 100 Per cent Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Ibrahim Tanko, has expressed concern over the increasing cases of cargo interception by certain government agencies at the seaports and highways, accusing them of operating beyond their statutory mandates.

The group specifically mentioned the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as agencies allegedly overstepping their legal boundaries in cargo monitoring and enforcement activities.

LEADERSHIP reports that the 100 per cent compliance team reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable freight forwarding practices and urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively toward a more efficient and transparent port system.

Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Tanko called on authorities to urgently address these issues among government agencies to prevent growing unrest among clearing agents.

According to Tanko, against the backdrop of the introduction of the National Single Window (NSW) platform, the government maintains in the activities of the agencies operating at the seaports.

“Our concerns are not complaints—they are constructive feedback to help the system work better,” he concluded.

Speaking further, Tanko commended the introduction of B’Odogwu, an indigenous system developed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the clearance of cargoes at the seaports.

He stated that the innovation is aimed at improving service delivery, but noted that items such as pharmaceuticals and spare parts are mostly directed to scanning, only to be dropped for physical examination.

He also stated that some operators impose demurrage fees even when shippers were granted free days.