The Nigerian Shippers’ Council reported that it saved shippers more than N175.8 billion and $30,000 in Q2 2025 through its interventions in maritime industry complaints.

The Council’s Q3 2025 Progress Report noted that its Complaints Unit received 46 complaints from stakeholders across the maritime supply chain during the period, successfully resolving 26 of them.

This comes as the NSC highlighted a major milestone in protecting shippers’ interests, recovering N2.06 billion in excess charges previously levied on them.

“NSC has successfully saved shippers over N175.8bn and $30,000 USD in the second quarter of 2025 through its interventions in complaints lodged by stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry,” the report stated.

The NSC noted that the remaining cases are still under review, pending complete documentation and verification from relevant agencies.

During the quarter, the complaints addressed a broad spectrum of industry issues, including disputes over container deposit refunds, demurrage and detention fees, arbitrary billing, cargo damage, missing containers, documentation errors, regulatory delays, and non-delivery of cargo.

The report stated that the NSC’s interventions were guided by its statutory mandate to ensure fairness in port operations, improve service delivery, and safeguard cargo owners and service providers from exploitative practices.

The Council also revealed that the Complaints Unit maintained its monthly service delivery reports to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, supporting national initiatives to boost efficiency in the maritime sector.

The NSC, however, highlighted challenges such as poor documentation by freight forwarders, limited cooperation among operators, and difficulties in tracing certain shipping service users.

It reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing transparency, stakeholder engagement, and operational compliance across ports nationwide.

During the period under review, the Council carried out advocacy visits, including meetings with the Apapa Customs Command and Ocean Network Express, aimed at promoting collaboration and addressing industry-wide issues such as auctions, documentation, cargo release, and container management.

Reacting to the development, a leader of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Riwane Amuni, praised the NSC for the achievement.

“It is a good thing that the council is doing; they have started living up to their expectations,” Amuni said.

The Public Relations Officer of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Onome Monije, stated that the Council’s dispute resolution mechanism plays a crucial role in safeguarding shippers and building trust among maritime stakeholders.