Shipping association defends tariff hike, cites transparency

The Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) has defended recent tariff adjustments by shipping agencies, describing the process as thorough, transparent, and guided by regulatory oversight.

The reaction followed concerns raised by the NAGAFF Trade War Advocacy Committee over the approval of new port charges across Nigeria’s maritime sector.

SAN Chairperson, Mrs Boma Alabi, gave the clarification in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.

Alabi said the association considered some of the claims against the tariff adjustments to be inaccurate and misleading.

She stated that the approval was granted by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in line with its statutory regulatory mandate.

According to her, the tariff review process lasted nearly two years, involving extensive scrutiny and consultations with key industry stakeholders.

Alabi noted that shipping companies submitted detailed cost analyses to justify the proposed adjustments.

She explained that the submissions were evaluated against prevailing economic realities, including inflation and foreign exchange volatility.

The SAN chair clarified that the approval was not applied uniformly across all shipping operators.

“Only companies that met the regulatory requirements were granted approval for the adjustment,” she said.

Alabi described the tariff increase as modest, stressing that it remained below the cumulative inflation rate over the review period.

She added that the adjustment was necessary to address rising operational and logistics costs within the industry.

Alabi observed that other stakeholders across the maritime value chain had also reviewed their charges upward.

“Isolating shipping companies for criticism does not reflect the broader realities of the industry,” she said.

She called for sustained dialogue and urged stakeholders to channel concerns through appropriate regulatory frameworks.