MEMBERS of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have threatened to protest against alleged manipulation of ship manifests by some shipping companies, which they claim could disrupt port operations and harm Nigeria’s economy.
Former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Dr. Kayode Farinto, urged the Nigeria Customs Service to investigate shipping companies, particularly Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hapag-Lloyd, for allegedly submitting inaccurate cargo manifests.
He described how these companies misreport the number of containers arriving in Nigeria, leading to complications in cargo clearance and increasing opportunities for corruption.
Farinto argued that this practice frustrates freight forwarders, who frequently face blocked Bills of Lading, thus requiring manual intervention.
He called for an examination of the actual number of containers discharged versus those declared in electronic manifests, emphasizing that the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, empowers the Service to sanction violations.
He warned that failure to address this issue could hinder the Customs modernization program and urged the Customs Service to take immediate action to uphold compliance and improve efficiency at Nigerian ports.