Group decries rising delivery costs regardless of poor providers

A maritime analysis group beneath the auspices of the Sea Empowerment Analysis Centre has said that delivery and ancillary port costs have elevated sharply over time, far outpacing enhancements in service high quality and effectivity.

The group, in an announcement on Monday signed by its Head of Analysis, Mr Eugene Nweke, maintained that many conventional value justifications superior by service suppliers, international trade volatility, vitality prices, and operational dangers have both stabilised or moderated.

SEREC confused that the cumulative impact of unchecked costs is inflationary, with direct penalties for companies, customers, and nationwide financial competitiveness.

“Delivery and ancillary port costs have elevated sharply over time, far outpacing enhancements in service high quality and effectivity. Many conventional value justifications superior by service suppliers, comparable to international trade volatility, vitality prices, and operational dangers, have both stabilised or moderated. The cumulative impact of unchecked costs is inflationary, with direct penalties for companies, customers, and nationwide financial competitiveness. These realities underscore the pressing want for reform, transparency, and regulatory intervention inside the delivery and port providers sector,” SEREC said.

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The group famous that whereas the grievances could also be legitimate, ways comparable to street-level shutdowns, blocking enterprise premises, and focused operational disruptions run counter to the picture, ambitions, and strategic targets of a contemporary maritime business.

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In response to SEREC, such approaches expose practitioners and associations to authorized, civil, and reputational dangers, stressing that such an method might additionally undermine years of effort to reposition freight forwarding as a regulated, skilled, and knowledge-driven vocation.

“Create avoidable collateral injury to cargo pursuits, importers, and indigenous companies, distract consideration from the substantive coverage failures, and shift focus to ways somewhat than points,” it added.

The group suggested that trendy industrial advocacy should depend on structured engagement, evidence-based stress, and institutional mechanisms, not bodily confrontation or advert hoc enforcement.

SEREC maintained {that a} skilled maritime business should embrace data-driven engagement, together with value benchmarking, development evaluation, and regional comparisons.

It emphasised {that a} skilled maritime business should have collective however coordinated actions, anchored on joint communiqués, unified calls for, and clear negotiation frameworks.

“Graduated escalation mechanisms, together with formal petitions, regulatory complaints, arbitration requests, and lawful service withdrawal the place essential. Strategic media engagement that informs, educates, and builds public understanding somewhat than sensationalism. Industrial motion must be a software of final resort, not a primary response,” it said.

SEREC additionally highlighted that on the coronary heart of recurring disputes over delivery costs lies a systemic regulatory deficit, including that the absence of agency, clear, and enforceable oversight over delivery line tariffs and ancillary costs has allowed “arbitrary pricing, lack of value justification, and abuse of dominant market positions.”

It suggested the Nigerian Shippers Council, which is the port’s financial regulator, to claim its statutory mandate with out concern or favour.

“Set up tariff assessment and approval frameworks, and implement value transparency and stakeholder session,” it confused.

SEREC lamented what it described because the failure of the skilled regulatory structure to constantly implement requirements, ethics, and orderly conduct.

“A reputable skilled regulator should promote lawful and civil engagement, sanction conduct that undermines business credibility, and lead advocacy via institutional channels somewhat than avenue enforcement,” it added.

The group suggested that each financial {and professional} regulators should rise above institutional lethargy, regulatory seize, and selective enforcement.

SEREC, nevertheless, known as for a right away suspension of street-style shutdowns and bodily enforcement actions.

It reiterated the necessity for the institution of an business delivery costs assessment discussion board involving regulators and stakeholders.

“Improvement of a nationwide port value benchmarking framework, necessary cost-justification disclosures by delivery traces for tariff changes, strengthening {of professional} regulatory enforcement to advertise orderly advocacy and institutionalisation of dispute decision and arbitration mechanisms,” SEREC added.

SEREC is an impartial maritime coverage, analysis, and advocacy organisation centered on Nigeria’s maritime, delivery, ports, and logistics sectors. It’s identified for conducting evidence-based analysis and issuing coverage place papers on regulatory, financial, and operational points affecting the Nigerian maritime business.