Maritime
NAGAFF Tin Can Appeals To CGC To Consider Urgent Meeting With Freight Forwarders.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Tincan Island Port chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has appealed to the Acting Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to consider an urgent town hall meeting with freight forwarders to enable him know, first-hand, the operational challenges they have been facing.
The chapter Chairman, Chief Emeka Paul Chiedozie made the appeal in Lagos, Thursday.
The town hall, he stated, will enable the CGC to hear suggestions and solutions from expert freight forwarders practising in the field. This will serve the Customs better than listening to those who sit in air-conditioned offices, using pen and paper to package petitions and recommendations.
He said: “CGC, please come and speak directly to practising freight forwarders that are generating the revenue. Let’s rub minds. For instance, the current charge for clearing one 40ft container from the port is almost more than what’s inside the container. This is frustrating”.
Chiedozie who is the Managing Director/ CEO of Seagold Ltd commended the Tin-can Island Port Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, for encouraging freight forwarders to look into exports business.
The commendation from NAGAFF is coming on the heels of the huge success the Command achieved by recording a total of 291,436.43 metric tonnes of exports in the first half of 2023.
Chiegozie was excited that within a few months the Federal Government lifted the embargo on exports cargoes, non-oil export has grown by 153,189.93 metric tonnes exported through Free- On -Board (FOB) in the first half of 2023 from the 138,246.5 metric tonnes recorded in the corresponding period last year.
He said that with the increasing rate at which bigger vessels now visit Tin Can Island port, the revenue generated from January to June 2023 by the Customs Command was not a surprise.
The goods exported through Tin Can Island Port Complex (TICPC) increased from 138,246.5 (MT) to 291,436.43 (MT), representing an increase of 110.8% when compared to 2022 report.
“I can remember few months ago, I encouraged my NAGAFF TinCan members to diversify into exports. Those who took advantage of that opportunity are smiling and thanking me today. Life is all about opportunities”.
“Freight forwarding business is meant for the professionals, those who are hardworking and know the technicalities involved in clearing. That’s why I encourage all my young NAGAFF chapter members to learn the job before running after money. With your job experience, a lot of people will see you as consultant, engage you each time they make mistakes during declaration.”
“During cargo declaration,” he advised, “don’t be too fast, ask questions, seek professional advice from any of the NAGAFF Executives or senior freight forwarders. My contact lines are available 24hrs so that you wouldn’t be losing your profit and cargoes to the Federal Government.”
Chiedozie, a veteran freight forwarder for decades, suggested some agricultural products that are exportable and lucrative. These include cocoa butter, cocoa beans, cashew nut and sesame seeds. Others are rubber, empty bottles, copper ingots and wood
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
For the umpteenth time, the Ports Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has made it clear that it remains a no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise.
As a Command, the PTML Customs has an unshaken commitment to implement the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is a World Customs Organisation (WCO) instrument for trade facilitation while using available manpower and technology to exercise the required control for import and export trade.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani stated this at the Command Headquarters in Apapa, Friday, while handing-over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The seizures consist of five (5) pistols of different makes, one (1) Crossman pump master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 9 mm Lugar live ammunition and four (4) 9mm magazines.
Others were forty (40) 9mm, NIM FC 30-30 blank and hollow ammunition and one hundred and eighteen (118) of 9mm empty shells.
”These arms and ammunition were uncovered in 25 different occasions by our officers during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 to 2025.”
”These seizures are a fallout of the collective due diligence of the Command and other sister agencies in the port.”
The handing-over, he explained, follows the approval of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR psc(+).
Present at the event was the South- West Coordinator, National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and his entourage. Others were the Management of Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited, sectional heads and heads of other sister agencies.
He explained that under the NCS Modernisation Project which was pioneered by the PTML Command, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, has raised the bar for productivity.
”I am pleased to announce that this Command will receive scanners soon as part of the modernisation project and our capacity to detect concealments, like these arms and ammunition would be greatly enhanced.”
Appreciating the Command’s compliant stakeholders for their cooperation at all times, he described them as l part of the Command’s success story.
The CAC announced that two days to the end of January, 2026, the PTML Command collected a total revenue of ₦44,058,849,416.65. This figure surpasses N40,497,594,223.89 realized in January, 2025 by N3,561,255,192.76, marking an 8.8% increase in revenue.
On behalf of the CGC, Comptroller Joe Anani formally handed over the seizures to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for appropriate action.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In a renewed effort to add more bite and ensure strict compliance to laws and regulations guiding Nigeria’s freight forwarding industry, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) will, come January 30, relaunch and recommission her Compliance Team at its new office location at Eleganza Plaza, Apapa.
Mr Bartholomew Okeke, Chief of Staff to the NAGAFF Compliance Team, disclosed this in Apapa, Tuesday.
Mr. Okeke explained that the Compliance Team, inaugurated in February 2021, serves as NAGAFF’s enforcement and intervention arm.
The interventionist body executes legitimate directives of the National President to ensure that freight forwarders and relevant government agencies comply with extant rules and regulations.
“Where there is infringement from either practitioners or government agencies, we intervene. That is why it is called the Compliance Team. We are not confrontational by default; we are interventionist,” he said.
Following the takeover of the former office by the plaza management for other uses, he explained, it became necessary to relocate to another block within the same complex. So, the exercise goes beyond reopening an office.
“We are not just recommissioning an office; we are relaunching ourselves more forcefully. We want people to know that we are not just back—we are forward-looking and fully committed to ensuring that all extant laws guiding the freight forwarding industry are strictly observed,” Okeke stated.
On challenges faced by the Compliance Team in the past, Okeke identified non-compliance by both operators and some government agency personnel, often driven by personal interests.
“There are people among government agencies who are out for their own pockets. When we confront such issues head-on with facts and institutional backing, they comply. We are connected to relevant authorities and we escalate issues of non-compliance appropriately,” he said. He assured that going forward, the Compliance Team plans to adopt a more engagement-driven approach rather than confrontation.
“The next phase is deeper engagement with agencies and stakeholders. It’s not all about fighting; it’s about facilitating trade. We want practical engagement, dialogue, and a think-tank approach to address challenges head-on,” he explained.
On the level of compliance in the industry, Okeke said automation and reduced human interference have improved adherence to procedures, placing compliance at about 60 percent.
“It’s not satisfactory yet, but we are moving forward. Our target is at least 90 percent compliance. There is no foolproof system, but our job is to educate, re-educate, and ensure reasonable compliance,” he added.
Being the umbrella body of freight forwarders in Nigeria, NAGAFF boasts of the largest membership in the sector, he reaffirmed.
“When NAGAFF speaks, the industry listens. We represent the industry optimally,” he said, adding that continuous training remains central to the association’s philosophy of operating strictly on the side of the law.
Okeke recalled NAGAFF’s opposition to arbitrary increases in terminal and shipping line charges, including protests and engagements with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council that led to stakeholder meetings and moderated outcomes.
“We do not shy away from defending our members and the economy. Whenever there are arbitrary charges, we are at the front line,” he explained.
NAGAFF has over 1,000 members across various chapters nationwide, with the Compliance Team present in all major ports.
Following the recommissioning, the Compliance Team plans to embark on advocacy visits to the Eastern Ports and Port Harcourt to reinforce its message of compliance and alliance-building.
“There must always be room for discipline. We are the mirror of NAGAFF, and we must uphold its image,” Okeke said.
Friday’s recommissioning ceremony will be graced by top dignitaries including the NAGAFF National President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, the Founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the Board of Trustees Chairman, Customs representatives, and other key stakeholders.
Maritime Agencies
WAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In her unwavering efforts to ensure that killer – drugs do not find entry into Nigeria, the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has, in liaison with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 347.5 kilograms of ‘Canadian Loud’ concealed in an imported Toyota Sienna car. The highly – valued substance is a potent strain of cannabis, ordinarily known as marijuana.
As stated in a press release by CSC Isah Suleiman, the Apapa Customs Command Public Relations Officer, the contraband hidden in 13 bags within one of four vehicles contained in a single consignment was discovered following a painstaking weighing exercise. A breakdown shows ten bags at 25kg each, one at 29kg, and two at 34.5kg and 34kg respectively, totaling 347.5kg.
This interception marks the fourth major joint drug bust by the Nigeria Customs, Apapa Command and the NDLEA in less than two months.
In his remarks, the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba re-enacted his warning to criminal elements and their networks to keep off the Command as the Command is always ahead of them to exploit whatever antics they deploy to undermine national security via the ports.
“Any attempt by criminal elements to traffic prohibited items through Apapa Port will be detected and thwarted. We remain vigilant and resolute in the discharge of our duty to protect our society and national security.”
He emphasized that under his watch, no cargo, whether import or export will pass through Apapa Port without thorough examination.
The operation also reflects the exemplary cooperation between Customs and NDLEA, championed by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD. Intelligence sharing and joint tactical efforts have consistently outmaneuvered smuggling networks in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Oshoba credited this strengthened partnership for the success, noting that the upcoming deployment of a high-capacity drive-through scanner capable of processing 200 containers per hour will further revolutionize anti-smuggling operations.
Both agencies continue to operate under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that foster zero tolerance, professionalism, and seamless cooperation. In line with established protocols, the seized cannabis has been formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the consignment.
This latest success builds on the recognition accorded to Comptroller Oshoba and NDLEA Apapa Special Area Commander Mohammed Tukur, who were both awarded the WCO Certificate of Merit on January 26, 2026, in Abuja during the International Customs Day celebrations.
Oshoba further explained that the interception aligns with the 2026 ICD theme: “Customs Protecting Society Through Vigilance and Commitment.”
While Customs remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade, the CAC reaffirmed, it will intensify efforts to disrupt illicit activities and safeguard society.
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