The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s port charges governance framework, warning that weak regulatory efficiency and the absence of international best practices are imposing heavy economic costs on the country.
In a Policy Memorandum submitted to the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy,Adegboyega Oyetola, SEREC said the recent protests over shipping line and terminal charges at the Apapa port corridor exposed deeper institutional and professional gaps in port economic regulation rather than a mere industrial disagreement.
According to SEREC, the Apapa port corridor handles over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s containerised imports, estimated at 1.5 to 1.8 million TEUs annually. The organisation noted that incremental charges of ₦150,000 to ₦250,000 per container now translate into an added annual cost burden of between ₦225 billion and ₦450 billion on the Nigerian economy.
SEREC explained that port and logistics charges already account for about 30 to 40 per cent of the landed cost of imports, adding an estimated 0.7 to 1.2 percentage points to headline inflation each year, with manufacturers, SMEs and final consumers bearing the ultimate cost.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of concerns over rising port charges, SEREC cautioned that street style protests and physical shutdowns undermine industry professionalism and economic stability. The group estimated that such disruptions cost the economy between ₦3 billion and ₦5 billion daily in cargo delays, demurrage and lost productivity.
The research body attributed recurring disputes to regulatory ambiguity, particularly the lack of clarity between tariff consultation and tariff approval processes. According to SEREC, this uncertainty increases investor risk premiums by 3 to 5%, structurally raising port service costs and discouraging long-term investment.
SEREC warned that persistent inefficiencies and high port costs weaken Nigeria’s competitiveness relative to regional peers, with the risk of diverting 10 to 15 per cent of West African transit cargo to neighbouring ports if reforms are delayed.
To align Nigeria’s ports with international best practices, SEREC recommended the institutionalisation of a binding national tariff review and approval framework, supported by mandatory cost justification disclosures and proactive regulatory communication.
The organisation also proposed the creation of a Standing Port Charges Review and Mediation Forum to resolve disputes through structured dialogue. SEREC estimated that while such a body would cost about ₦300 to ₦500 million annually, it could prevent economic losses of ₦50 to ₦100 billion each year.
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