The Sea Empowerment Research Center (SEREC) has cautioned against the growing trend of street style shutdowns and physical obstruction of shipping companies in protest against rising charges, warning that such actions undermine the credibility and long term stability of Nigeria’s port sector.
In a position paper titled “On Professional Industrial Advocacy, Regulatory Accountability, and Sustainable Port Economy Governance in Nigeria,” signed by Fwdr Eugene Nweke Rff
Head of Research, SEREC acknowledged that industry concerns over escalating shipping and port charges are legitimate, but stressed that the methods being adopted to express these grievances are counterproductive.
SEREC noted that Nigeria’s maritime and port industry remains a critical driver of trade, revenue generation, and economic stability, and emphasised that regulatory decisions within the sector must be guided by professionalism, legality, and sound economic judgment.
The research centre observed that shipping and ancillary port charges have risen sharply over the years, far outpacing improvements in service delivery and operational efficiency. It added that many of the traditional justifications for these increases such as foreign exchange volatility and high operational costs have either stabilised or moderated, yet charges continue to rise, placing increasing pressure on businesses, consumers, and national competitiveness.
SEREC strongly opposed physical shutdowns and selective disruption of shipping company operations, describing such actions as inconsistent with modern industrial relations practices and international best standards.
According to the centre, street-style enforcement exposes practitioners and associations to legal and reputational risks, undermines efforts to professionalise freight forwarding, and creates avoidable collateral damage for importers, cargo owners, and indigenous businesses.
SEREC argued that modern industrial advocacy should be anchored on structured engagement, data driven arguments, and institutional mechanisms rather than confrontation. It stressed that professional advocacy should involve cost benchmarking, regional comparisons, unified stakeholder positions, graduated escalation strategies, and strategic media engagement that informs and educates rather than sensationalises.
The position paper identified regulatory failure as the core driver of recurring disputes in the sector, citing weak economic regulation that has allowed arbitrary pricing, lack of cost justification, and abuse of dominant market positions by some shipping lines. SEREC called on the relevant economic regulator to assert its statutory mandate by introducing transparent tariff review frameworks, enforcing cost disclosure, and ensuring meaningful stakeholder consultation.
It also raised concerns about lapses in professional regulation, urging regulators to promote lawful engagement, sanction conduct that undermines industry credibility, and lead advocacy through institutional channels rather than street actions.
The centre called for the immediate suspension of street style shutdowns, the establishment of an industry wide shipping charges review forum, development of a national port cost benchmarking framework, mandatory cost justification disclosures by shipping lines, and the strengthening of dispute resolution and arbitration mechanisms.
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