Nigerian Shippers’ Council Recovers Over N6 Billion from Port Disputes

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has successfully recovered over N6.1 billion from various port dispute settlements spanning 2019 to 2023. This significant financial recovery, which underscores the council’s regulatory role in the Nigerian port industry, was achieved through a diligent complaints handling process.

Oluwarotimi Anifowose, the NSC’s Director of Strategic Planning and Research, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the council received numerous complaints from both service providers and port users via its Ports Service Support Portal.

These complaints primarily involved issues like arbitrary charges, container deposit refunds, and fraudulent import and export practices.

The council’s efforts didn’t stop at dispute resolutions. It also saved the Nigerian economy a substantial N167 billion through strategic interventions. These include tariff negotiations, which contributed N153 billion in savings, as well as efforts to reduce cargo stoppages and the facilitation of inland dry port projects, which together accounted for an additional N23.4 billion in economic benefits.

Reflecting on these achievements, the NSC emphasized the impact of its tariff negotiation strategies, which alone saved the economy N153 billion within the review period. The council’s interventions also led to savings of N10 million from reduced cargo stoppages and N13.4 billion through the promotion of inland dry ports, which attracted significant private investments.