Licensed customs agents have appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to extend the two-week deadline issued to importers for the clearance of 905 overtime cargoes stranded at various terminals in Lagos State.

The NCS recently announced a two-week grace period for importers and their agents to take delivery of the cargoes or risk forfeiting them to the Federal Government. It warned that failure to comply would lead to the commencement of processes to dispose of the goods.

A chieftain of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Abayomi Duyile, described the two-week period as inadequate. “I think the time should be extended so that importers will not lose their investments,” he said, while also suggesting that the government could intervene by engaging shipping companies to subsidize demurrage charges.

Similarly, the National Public Relations Officer of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Fatobilola, urged for more time, pointing to persistent network failures at the ports. “If you are giving somebody two weeks, and within that period there is no network to process payments or transactions, how do you justify the time frame?” he asked. He also noted that government should improve working conditions for terminal operators before pressing them to lower charges.

A member of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Stanley Ezenga, remarked that even a one-year extension might still be insufficient for some importers facing financial challenges. “Some people haven’t come to clear their cargoes because they lack the financial capacity. Extending the deadline would give them the opportunity to raise the needed funds,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, clarified that the disposal of overtime cargoes is a continuous exercise. “It is a routine process. The law provides 30 days for clearance. If that period lapses, the cargo is moved to the zonal office, then to headquarters if not cleared. Eventually, the items are condemned in a court of law and advertised in newspapers, giving the importer an additional two weeks to take delivery before final disposal,” he stated.