Extortion at nation’s ports cost shipping liners N3 trn annually

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Emmanuel Jime, yesterday  said various agencies operating at the Nation’s seaports extort over N3 trillion from shipping liners coming to do business in Nigeria annually. 

Speaking at a press conference to mark his one year in office, Jime revealed that with the establishment of the Port Service Task Team (PSTT), it has been able to save shipping companies a total of $6,540bn, about N3.270 trillion which which was supposed to have been paid on vessels demurrage between 2020 to 2021.

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He said the activities of the team was able to save the nation’s economy an average of $20, 000 daily on vessel demurrages within the year under review.

PSTT officers are made up of officials drawn from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission  (ICPC),  NSC, Police, Nigerian Ports Authority, Directorate of State Services and are charged with the primary duty of ensuring that standard operating procedures were followed in carrying out transactions in the ports and implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual.

He said:  “On joint vessel boarding by mandated government agencies, the  activities of the team saved the Nigerian economy an average vessel demurrage of $20, 000 per day between year 2020 and 2021, which ultimately translates to the sum of $6, 540billion,  equivalent to N3, 270, 000trillion.”

He said between 2021 and 2022, about 80 per cent of the vessels that called at Nigerian Ports left without any incident.

 The NSC boss said that so far 12 domestic expert warehouses nationwide have been approved for commencement of operations.