Nigerian Shippers’ Council recovers N348.8m for port users

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has facilitated the savings of over N348.8 million for stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime sector during the first quarter of 2026 through its complaints and dispute resolution mechanism.

According to the Council’s quarterly data, the agency handled a total of 32 complaints in the period under review and successfully resolved 19 cases, while 12 others are still being investigated and one remained closed.

The report also showed that the various interventions made by the Council helped importers, exporters, freight forwarders, shipping agents and other port users to recover or avoid losses amounting to N348,813,072.06.

Similarly, shipping companies and their agents recorded the highest number of complaints with 22 cases filed against them.

Other complaints were directed at seaport terminal operators, government agencies, exporters, importers, de-consolidators, as well as freight forwarders and clearing agents.

The report further revealed that container deposit refund disputes topped the list of complaints with five cases, followed by arbitrary charges with four cases.

Other recurring issues included unsettled demurrage, missing cargo, service failures, damaged cargo, wrong port of discharge and non-release of auction cargo.

Additional complaints handled by the Council involved delays in cargo transfer, invoice cancellation, breach of trust, export fraud, lack of telex release, delay in export documentation, waiver-related disputes, vessel demurrage and breach of contract.

The data showed that most complainants were shippers, including importers and exporters, alongside freight forwarders and shipping agents, underscoring the persistent operational and commercial challenges facing stakeholders in the nation’s port system.

Source: Daily Trend