A Nigerian shipping agent, Nze Chidiogo Okpara, has raised concerns over the Nigeria Customs Service’s NCS recent migration from the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System, NICIS II to its new B’Odogwu platform, describing the transition as chaotic and financially draining for stakeholders in the maritime industry.
Okpara, Chairman of Chidosky Marine Concept, said his company lost more than ₦20 million due to delays, downtime, and increased demurrage charges associated with the switch.
He made this known during the September edition of the Council of Maritime Media Practitioners of Nigeria, CONMMEP Monthly Roundtable Discussion, held at Bene Stars Suite, Tafawa Balewa Crescent, Surulere.
“We lost not less than three months during the migration, and it was a big loss. Personally, I lost over ₦20m to B’Odogwu because of the teething challenges, the delays caused by downtime, and the payment of demurrage,” Okpara stated.
Okpara explained that the new B’Odogwu system has operated at only 30–40% efficiency since its rollout, often forcing agents to wait for hours before processing transactions.
“The system sometimes only works at night, not during afternoons. Imagine a transaction that used to take one minute now dragging for two hours,” he lamented.
Documentation challenges also compounded the difficulties, particularly for clearing forms involving more than 20 items, which Okpara said frequently stall within the platform.
The maritime expert further highlighted the sharp rise in clearing costs, noting that clearing a 40ft container now costs as much as ₦16 million — an unsustainable burden for importers and businesses.
He also criticized Customs for introducing a 4% levy overnight without adequate stakeholder consultation, a move that was later suspended after pushback from industry players.
“Government must involve stakeholders before announcing such sensitive changes,” he cautioned.
While acknowledging Customs’ strong daily revenue generation figures, Okpara stressed that entrenched corruption at Nigeria’s ports continues to hinder fair business practices.
“Corruption is everywhere, but if your hands are clean, you can survive. What we need is fairness and transparency,” he emphasized.
Stakeholders at the roundtable agreed that while modernizing Customs operations through technology is vital, adequate stakeholder engagement, transparency, and system efficiency must remain at the core of implementation to avoid further crippling Nigeria’s maritime trade.