Freight forwarders demand sanctions over airlines’ refusal to transmit manifest to Customs B’Odogwu portal

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has accused major international airline operators of sabotaging cargo clearance at Nigerian airports, particularly the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja over their refusal to transmit cargo manifests to the B’ Odogwu Platform of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite in a statement issued Friday gave the names of the airlines to include: Lufthansa, Ethiopia Airlines, British Airways, Airfrance and Turkish Airlines.

Ogunojemite stated that the uncooperative stance of the airlines has crippled the smooth clearance of goods, leading to excessive delays and massive demurrage and storage charges for freight forwarders, importers, and logistics stakeholders operating through the Abuja airport and Lagos airports.

“Despite repeated appeals and engagements with relevant stakeholders, there has been no clear resolution. The absence of submitted manifests on the approved B. Odogwu digital platform means that customs officers are unable to assess or clear cargo efficiently, leaving consignments stranded and importers helpless, ” he said.

The group highlighted the severe consequences of non-compliance to include:

“Clearance Bottlenecks: Cargo remains uncleared due to the non-availability of manifest data required for processing.

“Mounting Demurrage and Storage Costs: Importers are forced to bear exorbitant demurrage and warehouse charges through no fault of theirs.

“Loss of Business and Trust: Delays have disrupted supply chains, resulting in business losses, customer dissatisfaction, and reputational damage for those affected.

“Operational Congestion: Cargo terminals at the Abuja airport are becoming overcrowded due to the backlog of unprocessed shipments.”

APFFLON called for urgent intervention from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to compel full compliance from all airlines.

It also recommended immediate sanctions or suspension of cargo operations for non-compliant airlines until they fulfill their statutory obligations.

Other recommendations are a stakeholders’ roundtable, including Customs, airlines, handling companies, and freight forwarders, to address the technical and administrative barriers to seamless manifest transmission and compensation or demurrage waivers for affected importers whose cargo has been delayed as a result of airline negligence.

“APFFLON remains committed to promoting transparency, professionalism, and efficiency in the freight and logistics industry. We urge all media houses and relevant authorities to treat this issue as a matter of national economic importance.

“The suffering of Nigerian importers and freight agents at the Abuja Airport must not continue unchecked. No single entity should be allowed to sabotage the progress made in customs automation and ease of doing business,” the statement concluded.