The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for safeguarding the interests of shippers and freight forwarders through regulatory interventions that reportedly prevented over ₦86 billion in demurrage losses and recovered an additional ₦4.54 billion via its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
In a statement signed by its National President, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, the association described the achievements as a major milestone in the Council’s efforts to promote trade facilitation, transparency, and protect cargo owners and freight forwarders from avoidable financial losses.
APFFLON said the accomplishments reflect the renewed commitment of the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, to strengthening efficiency and accountability within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
According to the association, the Council has continued to play a critical role as the nation’s Port Economic Regulator by promoting fairness and accountability across the port system.
While applauding the management of the Council, APFFLON urged it to sustain the momentum by strengthening regulatory oversight and ensuring that all port service providers comply with established operational standards.
The association, however, called on the Council not to lose sight of lingering challenges confronting freight forwarders and importers, including arbitrary charges, excessive port delays, poor service delivery by some operators, congestion, and other operational bottlenecks that continue to drive up the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
It also urged the Council to intensify stakeholder engagement, improve the efficiency of its dispute resolution processes, and ensure that the benefits of its regulatory interventions are felt across the entire maritime value chain.
APFFLON reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other industry stakeholders to advance reforms aimed at improving port competitiveness, reducing logistics costs, and positioning Nigeria as the preferred maritime and trade hub in West Africa.
The association congratulated the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and his management team on the achievements, expressing confidence that sustained reforms would deliver a more efficient, transparent, and customer-friendly port system capable of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth.