Importers pay N100,000 daily demurrage over NSW delays — Agents

…We never promised one-day approval — NSW

By Efe Onodjae

Importers and clearing agents have raised alarm over rising demurrage costs at the nation’s seaports, alleging that delays associated with the National Single Window, NSW, platform now compel some importers to pay as much as N100,000 daily to shipping companies and terminal operators while awaiting cargo clearance approvals.

The stakeholders, who spoke to Vanguard, described the newly introduced platform as ineffective and burdensome, insisting that persistent delays in obtaining approvals from regulatory agencies have continued to slow cargo clearance processes and increase the cost of doing business at the ports.

According to them, rather than harmonising trade procedures into one seamless process, the current arrangement has created duplication of functions between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Revenue Service.

The concerns were raised by the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Lucky Amiwero, alongside licensed clearing agents, who alleged that the system has worsened port operations, increased demurrage costs and compounded hardship for importers.

Speaking with Vanguard, Amiwero argued that the present structure of the National Single Window does not reflect the globally accepted model of a true single-window platform.

He said: “The National Single Window is not effective. It is not a single window but a multiple-window system. What they have now contravenes existing Customs laws because they are duplicating Customs functions.

“A proper single window means single administration, single transaction and single delivery. With one touch, cargo should be cleared because all the processes have already been harmonised at the backend.

“But what we have now is creating confusion and huge demurrage at the ports. Importers are still being linked to NAFDAC, SON and other agencies separately. That is not what a single-window system means.”

Amiwero maintained that the Nigerian Revenue Service, which is driving the initiative, lacks expertise in import and customs procedures.

According to him, Customs operations and tax administration are distinct responsibilities that should not overlap.

“Nigerian Revenue Service is for tax collection, not customs procedures. Customs is responsible for import duty collection, export and manufacturing regulations. What we have now is duplication and it is creating serious confusion at the ports,” he added.

He further alleged that importers are incurring heavy demurrage charges as consignments remain trapped at terminals for weeks due to delays in approvals and documentation processing.

“Some importers are paying close to N100,000 daily in demurrage because their cargoes remain uncleared for two or three weeks. Government should review the system and bring experts together to properly harmonise the process,” he said.

Also speaking to Vanguard while clearing his goods, a licensed clearing agent, Mr Kingsley Ogba, described the system as “haphazard,” saying it has increased delays and contributed to rising inflation.

According to him, delays in obtaining approvals from regulatory agencies through the platform are negatively affecting cargo clearance timelines.

“I have a process where NAFDAC took almost five working days to attend to documents submitted through the National Single Window. The documents were submitted on Thursday and were only attended to several days later.

“So, the system is not helping the economy. Rather, it is contributing to inflation because whenever containers are delayed for several days, additional costs are incurred and eventually transferred to the final consumer,” Ogba said.

He explained that importers are forced to add demurrage, shipping and logistics costs to the final prices of goods in the market.

“The more money spent on clearing containers, the higher the cost of goods. That is the reality affecting consumers today,” he added.

Ogba further disclosed that many clearing agents now spend several days at the Single Window office on Wharf Road, Apapa, Lagos, trying to resolve operational issues.

“You can go there and see agents trooping in daily with complaints. My staff stayed there for over one week trying to solve a problem. They did not do a good job before launching the platform,” he said.

Another licensed clearing agent, Mrs Ugwu Chioma, also expressed dissatisfaction with the rollout of the platform, saying the system was introduced nationwide without adequate testing.

According to her, the implementation has been plagued by approval delays, technical glitches and unresolved operational challenges.

“We are not truly operating a single-window system yet. There are delays everywhere. Even getting approvals and activating forms now takes a very long time.

“Sometimes, after submitting NAFDAC documents through the platform, it takes days or weeks before validation is done. Before talking about cargo clearance, approvals are already delayed,” she said.

Chioma urged the Federal Government to ensure that systems are fully functional before nationwide implementation.

“Government should make sure whatever they introduce works properly before launching it across the country. Right now, people are suffering because nothing is working effectively,” she stated.

When contacted, the Director of Communications for the National Single Window, Tola Fakolade, said many of the criticisms stem from resistance to stricter compliance procedures now embedded within the system. He noted that, contrary to public misconceptions, the first phase of the NSW initiative was never presented as a one-day approval system for all regulatory processes.

“What we promised was a unified entry point where importers and stakeholders can process documentation seamlessly without moving from one agency office to another. The objective is efficiency, transparency and accountability across the trade ecosystem,” he said.

Fakolade acknowledged that implementation challenges remain, particularly regarding inherited application backlogs within some agencies, but stressed that the Secretariat is actively coordinating resolutions with all stakeholders.

“For NAFDAC specifically, there was already a backlog before the National Single Window went live, and that backlog accounts for some of the delays currently being experienced. However, NAFDAC is working to clear these pending applications,” he said.

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