SEREC Calls for Balanced Regulation Amid Shipping Charges Dispute
The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has urged the Nigerian government to establish a balanced regulatory ecosystem that safeguards the interests of both port users and service providers, without undermining commercial realities or discouraging strategic investments in the maritime industry. This call comes in response to a petition filed by the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) to President Bola Tinubu, opposing proposed increases in local shipping charges, which they claim violate an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The petition, dated May 14 and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senate President, Minister of Finance, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and other stakeholders, alleges that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) failed to refer the proposed charges to the Technical Standing Committee established under the MoU governing port and shipping charges. According to the petition, Articles 2(b) and 4 of the MoU require that any additional or increased charges by terminal operators or shipping service providers must first receive consensus from all parties through the Council and be reviewed by the standing committee before implementation. The NCMDLCA demands an immediate suspension of any planned increases pending a full review by the committee to avert potential litigation and disputes.
In its industry position statement signed by Head of Research, Dr. Eugene Nwekee, SEREC emphasized that Nigeria’s maritime sector cannot afford regulatory uncertainty, investor anxiety, or avoidable distrust at a time when the nation urgently needs enhanced trade efficiency, increased non-oil revenue, and improved global shipping confidence. SEREC noted that the global maritime industry has experienced unprecedented operational cost escalations due to volatile foreign exchange fluctuations, rising freight and vessel costs, high energy and bunker fuel prices, inflationary pressures on port services, increased marine insurance and compliance costs, and supply chain disruptions. The organization maintained that Nigeria cannot isolate itself from these international commercial realities and that the maritime industry requires collaboration, not polarization.
SEREC stressed that the NSC must be seen as both a protector of cargo interests and a strategic stabilizer of maritime investments and commercial sustainability across the port value chain. While acknowledging the importance of procedural compliance under the MoU, SEREC argued that regulation must reflect current economic realities, balancing service sustainability, investment protection, port competitiveness, ease of doing business, operational efficiency, and consumer protection. The group warned that rigid interpretation of legacy agreements without considering evolving economic indices could deter investment inflows at a time when Nigeria seeks to become a leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa. SEREC urged the Council to strike a careful equilibrium between protecting cargo owners from arbitrary charges and ensuring that shipping companies, terminal operators, and other providers remain commercially viable under prevailing macroeconomic conditions. The organization also observed that shipping operations globally are largely dollar-denominated, while local obligations in Nigeria are heavily affected by naira depreciation and volatility, exerting pressure on operational costs and pricing across the maritime logistics chain.
