August 29, 2025
Over 5,000 cargoes are currently trapped at Nigeria’s seaport as goods clearing activities have been halted or scaled down significantly in the past two weeks.
Port users claimed to have incurred an estimated N2 trillion in demurrage.
Disruption of port activities have been attributed to the persistent network glitches on the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS. B’Odogwu digital platform, which has left manufacturers and other merchants incurring a huge loss.
Another factor is federal government reintroduction of the four per cent free on board (FOB), thereby hiking cost of clearing, by about 200 per cent.
While manufacturers lament the reintroduction, they are also worried that much of the stuck raw materials might not be damaged when they are eventually cleared.
Meanwhile, a 40-foot container attracts a daily demurrage of between N120,000 and N140,000, while a 20-foot container costs about N80,000 daily.
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Similarly, demurrage for a car is N10,000, while a truck attracts N35,000 and caterpillar is N45,000. These rates are subjected to increase after the initial grace period.
Findings revealed that about 5,000 import containers are currently trapped at Apapa, Tin Can and Port and Terminal Multi service limited, PTML, all in Lagos, following the network glitches while Onne Port, Rivers state, has turned into a ghost town with almost zero activity recorded in the past two weeks.
Stakeholders complained that the network breakdown, which started about three weeks ago, has disrupted payment processing, cargo exits and trade documentation, triggering a surge in demurrage costs for importers and manufacturers whose raw materials and finished goods are stuck at terminals.
Affected clearing processes include, logging into the platform, registration of Form M, Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR) generating, duty payments and final exit clearance.
With banks unable to connect with the portal for payment, clearing has been at a snail’s pace, processes which ordinarily should have taken about 24 hours in normal working conditions now take days.
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The disruption caused by network glitches have paralysed cargo movement at Onne, Tin Can Island, Apapa, and the bonded terminals, with both imports and exports grinding to a halt.
The situation is putting intense pressure on manufacturers, who rely on the timely delivery of raw materials to produce finished goods. Some of the operators complained that the cost of clearing has increased by over 180 per cent in recent days.
They warned that the continuous disruption could force factories to scale down production or shut down entirely if the situation persists.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, recently admitted that part of the downtime was caused by attempts by hackers to infiltrate the Customs digital system.Adeniyi, however, said part of the problem had been resolved through joint efforts.
But users said the situation has not improved. The Chief Executive Officer of Globjoy Investment Limited and Public Relations Officer of the Tin Can Chapter of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Clinton Okoro, lamented that about 5,000 containers have remained trapped at Apapa, Tin Can and PTML ports due to the poor network.
He warned of crippling financial losses from the mounting demurrage.
A Former President of the Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS), Jonathan Nicol, said the system failure has left cargoes stranded at the ports, with importers unable to pay duties, conduct examinations, or take delivery of their goods.
“When there is a malfunction in customs equipment, it affects the entire supply chain. You cannot pay duty, you cannot perform examinations, and you cannot even access shipping lines.
The whole system is at a to significant revenue losses for the Federal Government, as Apapa Port alone generates over N1 billion a day in a month, much of which will be delayed or lost until the network is restored.
Nicol warned that “The economy is bleeding. Customs is not collecting duties, terminals are not moving containers, truckers are not engaged, and shipping lines are also affected.
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The losses are massive, possibly running into N2 trillion for the period already experienced and more if this continues,”
Stakeholders have also criticized terminal operators and shipping companies for capitalising on the network downtime to exploit importers via high demurrage charges.
They argue that in other countries, such as South Africa, demurrage clocks are suspended during system failures until operations resume.
Apapa Port generates a daily revenue collection of over N15 billion, while the Tincan Island Port Command collects a daily revenue of over N10 billion.
With containers unable to move out of terminals, many businesses face escalating costs that threaten profitability and supply chain stability
