Clearing agents have appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to allow more time for importers to remove about 905 abandoned cargoes stuck in Lagos terminals. They believe the two-week deadline recently announced by Customs is too short and could lead to huge financial losses.
Customs had earlier warned importers and their agents that they have only two weeks to clear the 905 containers or risk losing them to the Federal Government. After the deadline, the agency said it would begin the process of auctioning or disposing of the goods.
Mr. Abayomi Duyile, a leader in the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, described the notice as unrealistic. “I think that the time should be extended. It should be extended so that these importers will not lose their investment,” he said, adding that shipping companies could also be urged to cut down demurrage charges.
Echoing similar concerns, Mr. Taiwo Fatobilola, spokesperson for the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, linked the challenge to poor internet services at the ports. “If you are giving somebody two weeks, under the two weeks, there is no network to work or to pay, then how do you justify the two weeks you give them?” he asked. He also noted that asking terminal operators to reduce rent without addressing their overhead costs would be unfair.
Mr. Stanley Ezenga of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders stressed that some importers simply don’t have the funds to clear their cargoes yet. “Some people haven’t come to clear their cargoes because of financial constraints; they lack the financial muscle,” he said. “So the government should extend it to give room for those who may have the intention to come and clear but are still looking for money to clear.”
In response, Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada clarified that handling abandoned goods is part of the agency’s routine work. “It is a routine activity, whenever you have an item that hasn’t been cleared, the law says you give that person 30 days,” he explained.
He added that if goods are still not collected, they are moved from zonal offices to Customs headquarters, and eventually taken to court for condemnation. After that, the items are advertised in newspapers, giving the importer another two weeks to collect them before final disposal.
