Agents blame NSW for port operations breakdown

Clearing agents have accused the newly introduced National Single Window of crippling port operations.

In a statement on Monday, a former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Dr Kayode Farinto, while calling on the Federal Government to urgently suspend the newly introduced NSW platform, warned that the platform “has crippled port operations and disrupted trade activities across the country.”

Farinto expressed strong dissatisfaction with the system’s performance since its rollout on 27 March.

He added that stakeholders have been unable to carry out cargo declarations, which he described as the most fundamental processes in port operations.

“Ordinarily, when a new system is introduced, we expect some glitches. But what we are experiencing now goes beyond that; it is a total blockage. Since 27 March, we have been unable to make any declarations. This is very unfortunate,” Farinto said.

He described the situation as a “full-blown crisis, cargoes are piling up at the ports while importers continue to incur heavy demurrage and storage costs. Demurrage is accumulating, storage charges are increasing, and businesses are suffering. This is clearly a state of crisis,” he stressed.

Farinto alleged that some agencies and service providers are taking advantage of the situation to increase their charges, worsening the burden on importers already grappling with operational delays.

He emphasised that the problems highlight a lack of adequate planning and stakeholder engagement prior to the system’s launch, arguing that critical players such as shipping companies and terminal operators were not properly integrated into the implementation process.

“These are issues that should have been addressed before the take-off. You don’t roll out a system of this magnitude without proper alignment with stakeholders. Now the system is down,” he said.

Describing the development as a total collapse of the industry, Farinto warned that the paralysis in port operations is already taking a toll on the Nigerian economy.

“This situation is a national emergency. The economy is at a standstill because port activities are blocked. Urgent decisions must be taken. There is no time for delays,” he said.

To address the situation, Farinto advocated a temporary return to the previous system while the government works to resolve the challenges affecting the new platform.

“They should suspend it immediately and revert to the old system. Let them fix the loopholes and reintroduce it properly, possibly next quarter. There is no shame in admitting challenges; what matters is protecting the national interest,” he advised.

Farinto urged President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly to prevent further economic losses and restore confidence in the system.

Corroborating Farinto’s assertion, the Head of Department, Shipping, Air and Terminal Logistics at the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Nnadi Ugochukwu, in a chat with The PidomNigeria on Monday, admitted that the platform has some teething problems.

He explained that aside from the Nigeria Customs Service, other agencies involved with the NSW platform have not trained stakeholders on how the platform works.

“Of course, it’s having some teething problems. The NCS have told us what to do and how they want to do it, but other agencies have not been able to tell us how we will be able to come on board. Agencies are supposed to also engage with stakeholders on how they will be able to navigate through the system and then meet up with them on how they will easily navigate through the NSW platform. Once you log into the single window, you must select the agencies that are relevant,” Nnadi said.

A chieftain of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Abayomi Duyile, said, “We can’t be able to link the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme and NAFDAC to the NSW platform, and they are attached to the NSW. So, if you have an import that involves SON and NAFDAC, you can’t clear them. So, the major challenge is with NAFDAC and SON.”

The National Single Window initiative, designed to streamline trade processes through a unified digital platform, has come under intense scrutiny following its troubled rollout, with stakeholders now urging the government to take decisive steps to restore normalcy at the nation’s ports. The first phase of the platform kicked off on 27 March.