Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Seaport

A policy advocacy group, Sea Empowerment Research Centre has warned against the resolve to street protests and other forms of shutdowns in Nigeria’s maritime and seaport industry, proposing that a more institutionalised dispute resolution mechanisms should be adopted to save the seaports from service disruptions and attendant economic and social losses.

Recall that Licensed Customs Agents operating in the nation’s maritime sector had penultimate Monday, threatened to picket some shipping companies and shipping agents over their planned increase in shipping charges, which took effect from January 1, 2025.

Head of Research of the group, Fwdr Eugene Nweke Rff, in a Position Paper, observed that shipping and ancillary port charges have increased sharply over the years, far outpacing improvements in service quality and efficiency.

The statement also noted that many traditional cost justifications advanced by service providers, which include foreign exchange volatility, energy costs, and operational risks, are neither stabilised nor moderated, adding that the cumulative effect of unchecked charges is inflationary, with direct consequences for businesses, consumers, and national economic competitiveness.

Conversely, the group noted that resorting to strikes and shutdowns to protesting these impositions are counterproductive as they only serve to disrupt operations.

“The Nigeria’s maritime and port industry remains a critical driver of national trade, revenue generation, and economic stability. As such, actions, reactions, and regulatory decisions within this ecosystem must be guided by professionalism, legality, economic intelligence, and institutional responsibility.

“Recent industrial actions in response to escalating shipping line charges have once again drawn national attention to persistent structural imbalances within the port cost regime. While stakeholder concerns regarding arbitrary and disproportionate tariff increases are legitimate and well-founded, the methods adopted in prosecuting such grievances must align with modern industrial relations standards and international best practices”, the statement said.

On the effects of the shutdowns, the statement said: “Notwithstanding the legitimacy of the grievances, street-style shutdowns, physical obstruction of business premises, and selective operational disruptions are inconsistent with the image, aspirations, and strategic objectives of a modern maritime industry.

“Such approaches expose practitioners and associations to legal, civil, and reputational risks, undermine years of effort to reposition freight forwarding as a regulated, professional, and knowledge-driven vocation, create avoidable collateral damage to cargo interests, importers, and indigenous businesses.

Other negative consequences include distracting attention from the substantive policy failures and shift focus to tactics rather than issues, modern industrial advocacy must rely on structured engagement, evidence-based pressure, and institutional mechanisms, not physical confrontation or ad-hoc enforcement.

As a way forward, the group recommended immediate suspension of street-style shutdowns and physical enforcement actions, establishment of an Industry Shipping Charges Review Forum involving regulators and stakeholders and development of a national port cost benchmarking framework.

Other recommendations include mandatory cost-justification disclosures by shipping lines for tariff adjustments, strengthening of professional regulatory enforcement to promote orderly advocacy, institutionalisation of dispute resolution and arbitration mechanisms.

“Nigeria’s maritime industry does not suffer from a lack of grievances; it suffers from a deficit of effective regulation and structured engagement. While industrial advocacy remains a legitimate tool, how we protest is as important as why we protest.

A professional industry must reject street-style shutdowns and embrace intelligent pressure, regulatory accountability, and institutional reform. Ultimately, sustainable solutions lie not in confrontation, but in credible regulation, responsible leadership, and collective discipline. This position paper is issued in the interest of industry stability, economic sustainability, and the long-term credibility of Nigeria’s maritime sector”, the group also said.