“ We appreciate ” complainant
….. Very professional intervention …..Terminal
On Monday, September 8, 2025, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council resolved a dispute involving 35 containers of raw materials for soap manufacturing. The materials were imported from Mano Palm Oil Industries in Monrovia, Liberia, and the complaint was filed by Royal Express Ltd, agent to ILera Agro Processing Nigeria Ltd, Kano (the Consignee), against the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Agency (NESREA) and the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
Addressing the parties, Dr. Bashir Ambi, head of the Complaints Unit, welcomed everyone on behalf of Akutah, Pius Ukeyima, MON, Esq, FCILT, FCIOTA, Ph.D. “We are assuring all parties of a fair, prompt, and satisfactory resolution,” he stated.
He also announced that in conformity with the ongoing succession exercise in the Council, Yahaya Abdullahi Wachiko (Operations Officer) would chair the meeting. Yahaya then requested Ugwu Igeoma (Assistant Chief Operations Officer) to present the complainant’s brief. Ugwu explained that the Council had received a complaint from Royal Express Ltd, the agent for ILera Agro Processing Ltd, Kano, regarding Bill of Lading No. MEDUM9066066
The complaint reported unwarranted interference from some government agencies at the seaport, specifically NESREA and NAQS, in the seamless clearance of cargo. The agent claimed that neither of these agencies is authorized to regulate food or drugs and that they consistently overstep their scope of responsibility. They cited Section 61 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Dennis Onyebueke, representing Royal Express Ltd, lamented the detention of 35 containers by NESREA. He argued that the detained goods do not fall within NESREA’s regulatory scope, making the detention unjustified. He stated that it had negatively impacted the company’s financial outlook, particularly due to mounting demurrage charges per container. The clearing agent added that the Single Window System is typically used to identify which regulatory agencies are involved with specific imports. He questioned why NESREA was not flagged during the initial documentation process if the goods required clearance from the agency. He then requested the Council’s intervention.
In response, Mr. Vonkar David, representing NESREA, clarified that only two containers, not 35, were detained. He explained that the containers held palm oil for soap manufacturing, which is classified as hazardous under NESREA’s environmental regulations. He emphasized that the agency’s actions were fully consistent with its legal mandate to regulate and monitor the importation of hazardous materials.
NESREA further clarified that while Royal Express Limited has a strong history of regulatory compliance, the importer had failed to complete the required registration and secure pre-import clearance from NESREA. The agency reiterated the importance of obtaining this clearance in advance for all goods under its regulatory oversight to prevent violations and unnecessary delays.
After extensive deliberations and a review of relevant documents, the meeting adopted the following resolutions: that;
- The Royal Express Ltd (agent to the Consignee) must ensure all future shipments containing hazardous goods are cleared with NESREA prior to importation.
- NESREA must maintain open lines of communication and provide clear guidance to importers regarding products under its jurisdiction. The two detained containers be released without further delay.
- The clearing agent was encouraged to proactively consult NESREA whenever there is uncertainty about a product’s regulatory status to avoid future delays and additional demurrage costs.
- All parties acknowledged the need for improved communication, sensitization seminars for better documentation, and closer collaboration to ensure smoother processing of shipments and prevent the recurrence of such issues.
All parties expressed gratitude for the Council’s intervention.