By Stephen Ubanna
Francis Aniezechukwu, who had represented Eugene Nweke, a former President, of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAF, to present a position paper at the one-day League of Maritime Editors, LOME, Workshop in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, appears to have given a god account of himself.
The NAGAFF, Chieftain, who had spoken extempore, during the LOME, one-day Semina, which had focused on Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Chairmanship of the 186-member of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, under the Chairmanship of Charles Edike, a one-time Assistant Comptroller General of Customs had stated categorically that ‘’policy inconsistencies by past and present Administrations over the years which had led’’ to frequent reversals that harm trust’’.
The NAGAFF Chief had said that the alleged policy inconsistencies had resulted in ‘’bureaucratic -bottlenecks, highhandedness and high- level corruption in the government establishments.
The Freight Forwarder had argued that once the Nigerian Government become consistent in managing its policies there would be a complete turn around in the economy as investors would consider it necessary to see Nigeria as an investment destination, stressing Nigeria has lost a lot of of business opportunities between 2007 and now, due to the arbitrary change in government policies.
The Lagos based Freight Forwarder, did not stop there. He had said that another major problem that had crippled investment in Nigeria was the dearth of a data bank. The Freight Forwarder who had alluded to the fact that ‘’no country would survive without a bank that could easily be assessed by investors as a guide was had said that they had made several efforts to make the leadership of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency, NIMASA, see the need to establish a Data Bank for the nation’s maritime Industry but has not been taken seriously.
This may have informed why he had suggested the need for the government ‘’to instutionalise data – sharing across the Customs, NIMASA, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC and other relevant government agencies’’, thus propagating and maximizing the benefits of responsible partnership and collaboration.
Note that Aniezechukwu, may not have been a news maker in the class of Bonniface Aniebonam, founder , NAGAF and Nweke, a former President of the Association or Lucky, miewero, founder, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, but he could still express is views that unless those managing the nation’s maritime industry consider the need to establish a data bank, investors will continue to shun Nigeria and relocate to Ghana, and West African countries to invest.,
Despite the immense opportunities that exists in the nation’s maritime industry, Aniezechukwu had alluded to the fact that Nigeria has continued to experience a cumulative US $4 billion revenue loss on a yearly basis from the seaports, airports and land border areas across the country.
He had given an insight to the various reforms that had been carried under the present Customs Management Team led by Adeniyi. He had cited Time Release Study, TRS, which measures the real clearance time at the ports, airports, identified bottlenecks, and offered to reduce dwell time. He has also looked at Data Analytics that had shifted ‘’Customs from intuition to intelligence, Risk-based inspections and fewer revenue leakages’’. This is evident going by the N1.3 trn collected from imports and non-oil exports in the first quarter of 2025 and paid into the Federation account.
Aniezechuhwu, was said to have also looked at other notable reforms in the Service, under the leadership of Adeniyi, such as the Advance Ruling Application Traders as importers get their tariff and valuation clarity upfront through their agent now unlike what obtains in the past as ‘’cuts disputes, builds confidence’’.
This is in addition to the Authorised Economic operator, AEC, as ‘’trusted traders are rewarded with faster clearance and incentivises compliance that aligns with global best practices’’. Another of such basic reforms that was said been introduced under the Adeniyi’s Administration in Customs was the B’Odogwu platform, described as a single – environment which many believes is seamless and digital transparent.
The Current Customs Management team were said to have equally intensified efforts to procure Rapid Scanners for port operations which are said to be faster and non-intrusive inspections,’’ all geared towards enhancing trade facilitation’’.
The last but the least was the introduction of the One Stop Shop, at the APAapa, Tin-can-can Island and Onnee port. The CGC, had assured the senior officers who were him at a recent meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, including the Customs Comptrollers, overseeing the Commands and members of the Management Team, that the OSS, policy initiative would be extended to other seaports, airport and Land border stations across the country.
This is good news for the aggrieved agents who wants the CGC, to use his powers to prone down the number security agencies on the road to enhance trade facilitation. Participants had taken advantage of the LOME Workshop to open up.
A participant, who could not hide his feelings had spoken out about ‘’the multiple security checkpoints along the Lagos -Seme-Krake joint Border Community -road’’. They had lamented that the situation at the Seme’Krake joint border Community is very worrisome, noting that a situation where Seme Command Resident DC, officer could release a truck laden cargo at the Land border Community, that is between Nigeria and the neighouring Benin Republic, an Inspector of Customs from the Federations Operation, would intercept it and subject it to another round of examination , which could be delayed for hours as part of their extortion strategy.
The Customs Leadership may have known that there’re is a problem with the multiple Customs checkpoints around the seaports that it has introduced the One stop Shop, OSS, clearing process at the Ports of Apapa, Tin-can Island and Onne ports, to achieve the 48 hours target.
ACG Edike, rtd, had said that that there is nothing the CGC, could have done in the past to checkmate the activities of the all the securities along the Lagos-Seme Road as they have their bosses who gives instruction to the to the respective security agencies.
He had asserted that if CGC, Adeniyi, could speak out now in his capacity as the Chairman of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, to his Counterparts in the need to reduce the number of security agencies around the Land order areas across the country, it will carry weight and such a directive would be implemented.
The message is clear that the number of days for the numerous security agencies along the Land border stations across the country, airports and those still remaining at the seaports in Lagos azis or the other south eastern part of Nigeria like Warri port, Rivers port and Calabar port are numbered.
It would be recalled that Aniezechukwu, the NAGAFF Chief had remarked in his position paper that CGC Adeniyi is not only ‘’leading Africa in Customs Administrations and operations but as ‘’ a continental beacon of trade and industriaalisation that Customs will deliver and industry would comply’’.
He would want CGC Adeniyi and his Management Team to consolidate on the reforms that had been initiated over the last two years, at ‘’ it would harness Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCTA, protect transparency, enthrone predictability and compliance in trade transactions, redefine and sustain the government fiscal policies.
He had said that Nigeria has every reason to make good use of the opportunity that had been provided by Adeniyi, the incumbent, Chairman, WCO, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy during former Minister Goodluck Jonathan, and now, Director General, World Trade Organisation, WTO, to reposition the Nigerian economy.
The LOME event was said to have ended with presentation of awards to deserving industry operators like Abubakar Dabtsiho, Managing Director, NPA, Pius Akutah, a Lawyer and Executive Secretary, NSC, Dayo Mobereola, , Director General, NIMASA, Babatunde Olomu, a for Area Controlle, Apapa Command and now an ACG, at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCt and Compt. Frank Onyeka of the Tin-can Island Command.
