The Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS) on Wednesday held its 2025 Shippers’ Day Celebration at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, with a strong call for tax reforms and full implementation of the National Single Window to enhance seamless trade in Nigeria.
The event, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), brought together key stakeholders from the maritime and logistics sector, including government officials, industry operators, and private sector leaders.
Participants at the forum identified multiple taxes and levies as major challenges confronting efficient port operations and trade competitiveness in the country.
Delivering the keynote address, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Mr Bar Akutah Pius Ukeyvima, MON, FCILT, PhD, commended SALS for organizing the event.
Ukeyvima described shippers as critical drivers of trade facilitation, economic growth, and Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
Speaking on the theme, “Multiple Taxes and Levies,” he said overlapping charges increase operational costs, reduce transparency, and weaken investor confidence.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Council to reforms that promote fairness, transparency, and efficiency at the nation’s ports.
The NSC boss also threw his weight behind the full implementation of the National Single Window, describing it as a vital structural reform capable of eliminating delays and duplicated documentation.
He said the platform would integrate port processes and significantly improve cargo clearance time for importers and exporters.
On the 4 per cent tax on Free on Board (FOB) value of imported goods introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service, Ukeyvima acknowledged stakeholders’ concerns.
He assured that the NSC was engaging relevant authorities to ensure that fiscal policies support national economic objectives.
Earlier, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Babande Mohammed, spoke on the National Single Window and its relationship with the B’Odogwu platform.
Mohammed described the B’Odogwu platform as an indigenous Unified Customs Management System designed to digitise cargo clearance and reduce human interface.
He explained that the National Single Window and the B’Odogwu platforms would be fully integrated by the first quarter of 2026.
In his remarks, the President of SALS, Rev. Nicholas O. Odolo, urged stakeholders to work together to build a sustainable and competitive shipping industry.