Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Nigeria loses $2.5bn to non-implementation of ICTN- Shippers council

POSTED ON October 29, 2024 •   Business      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Shippers Councils logo

Nigeria lost about $2.5bn in five years, and $500m annually due to the non-implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Notes, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Pius Akutah, said on Monday.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services, Mr Babatunde Sule, said that though the Federal Executive Council in the administration of Muhammadu Buhari approved the contract, the process of the award was wrong.


The revelations were made during an investigative hearing on the circumstances surrounding the non-implementation of the ICTN and identify challenges faced by the NSC, organised by the House of Representative Committees on Shipping, Excise, Customs, Ports and Harbor and Maritime Safety, Education and Administrations.


ICTN is a mandatory loading document for all shipments to Nigeria determined as a regulation in 2019.


According to this law, every cargo that has been purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, in some cases, diplomatic and personal purposes requires a Loading Certificate, otherwise known as ICTN.


Speaking at the event, Akutah said “Nigeria has lost almost $2.5bn within the last five years that Nigeria has not implemented this.

 Because of some investigations conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, a period of five years passed.
“Within the last five years, they implemented for two years and somehow stopped. In the last five years, they have not done it. We are losing huge amounts in dollars.”


In the words of the Minister’s representative, the process that led to the approval of the contract by the previous administration was flawed.


“Last year, the FEC approved a contract. At the tail end of the last administration, the government approved five companies. I know there was a fake approval, regarding this contract. I’m also aware that it was given to five companies. I also learned that four of the companies signed an agreement, with the fifth not signing. I think that was what stalled this whole process. The process was wrong.


“At the assumption of the office of the minister, he made frantic efforts to resuscitate this contract. We had several stakeholders’ meetings. We even invited the lead partner for a meeting. We had several discussions on this issue. All has not yet been decided. Time won’t let me say what the Honorable Minister has continued to do in his efforts to see that this deal is actualised.

However, according to a statement by the Chairman of the Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria, Boma Alabi, who was not present at the meeting, the proposal is an attempt at money-making by the Federal Government, which does not support the ease of doing business and trading in Nigeria.

“The shipping industry in Nigeria is already overburdened with red tape and certainly does not require another layer of bureaucracy which is what the proposed Cargo Tracking Bill will result in.

“All exporters and importers can track their goods on the website of the shipping lines generally speaking. In addition, the shipping lines have to upload their manifest to the Customs portal which is connected to the Central Bank of Nigeria single window.

“The ICTN without streamlining the existing process will only result in further delays and congestion,” the statement read in part.

Speaking earlier during his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the Committee on Shipping Services, Abdussamad Dasuki noted that the ICTN is far more than an administrative requirement but an essential tool initiated to drive transparency, security, and operational efficiency in the movement of cargo across borders.

He said “Despite its approval and the commitment of various stakeholders, progress towards implementing the ICTN has been hampered by significant challenges. Among these challenges, we believe, are the bureaucratic delays and competing interests among agencies, limited coordination between key stakeholders, and the duplication of contracts awarded for its implementation.

“Today’s gathering is an opportunity to tackle these issues head-on. Our goal is to identify the root causes of these delays, address conflicted interests, improve revenue generation by plugging the loopholes that allow illicit cargo, such as arms and drugs, to slip through our ports, and ultimately unlock the potential of the ICTN to bring Nigeria’s maritime industry in line with global best practices.”

READ ALSO
German eye Nigeria's mineral wealth as foreign direct investments surge
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

Ongoing initiatives to draw in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) seem to be bearing fruit, as certai...

READ ALSO
FG signs $174.6M agreement with UNIDO to enhance Nigeria's industry
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

The Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have enter...

READ ALSO
FG signals tough stance on underdeveloped Oilfields, calls for strategic IOC investments
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 2, 2025 0

The Federal Government expressed its worries on Tuesday about the growing number of idle and underde...

READ ALSO
Fuel prices expect to fall below N750 by Year-End - NIPSS
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 2, 2025 0

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has said that with Dangote Refinery...

READ ALSO
CBN's strategic policies lead to significant increase in Nigeria's Net FX reserves
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 2, 2025 0

Nigeria's net foreign exchange reserves (NFER) stood at $23.11 billion at the conclusion of the prev...

READ ALSO
NSIA reports ₦3.74Trn profit, celebrating 12 years of continuous profitability
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 1, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - THE Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) reported generating approximately...

READ ALSO
Insurance leaders advocate for AfCFTA adoption to drive economic progress
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara March 21, 2025 0

Stakeholders within the insurance sector have urged operators to capitalize on the African Continent...

READ ALSO
Nigeria's Debt Soars: To exceed N155 Trillion by 2025 amidst economic strain
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara March 21, 2025 0

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has indicated that many countries, p...

OUR CHANNELS:

Ogun police respond to rising attacks at Sagamu interchange
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 5, 2025 0

There are worries regarding the attacks and killings by hoodlums targeting commuters traveling to Ab...


Rwanda match takes precedence as Super Eagles eye world cup qualification
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 5, 2025 0

Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, has indicated that his team will place greater emphasis on the upco...


LASU celebrates 28th convocation with Over 11,000 graduates, honors distinguished Nigerians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - Lagos State University (LASU) announced on Thursday that it will be graduating no l...


Federal high court orders forfeiture of $20,000 from traveler for customs violation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - A Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated the forfeiture of $20,000 seized by the...


German eye Nigeria's mineral wealth as foreign direct investments surge
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 5, 2025 0

Ongoing initiatives to draw in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) seem to be bearing fruit, as certai...


Lagos faces severe traffic chaos as Independence Bridge repairs begin after Sallah holiday
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

LAGOS, NIGERIA - Lagos residents faced a challenging situation yesterday as they returned to work fo...


FG signs $174.6M agreement with UNIDO to enhance Nigeria's industry
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 5, 2025 0

The Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have enter...


U.S. shows highest anxiety over AI Job loss amidst technological advancements
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

Despite its advanced status, research indicates that the United States of America (USA) has the high...


Bayelsa communities threaten to halt oil production over security contract dispute
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

BAYELSA, Nigeria - Nigeria’s struggling oil output may be on the brink of another crisis as co...


NITDA Partners Afrovision technologies to bridge job gap for Nigeria’s Tech Talent
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 3, 2025 0

In an effort to tackle the ongoing challenge of job placement for Nigeria’s expanding tech tal...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu