There is more trouble for the propose introduction of the much awaited International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) as a Lagos base freight forwarder and Managing Director of Widescope Nigeria Limited, Dr. Segun Musa has declared it a fraud.
Describing ICTN as a surest way to further kill Nigeria’s economy, he maintained that it was not different from the Customs Risk Assessment Report that profiles all cargo coming into the country.
Musa who stated this while interacting with the leadership of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) who visited him at the headquarters of his company at Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos recently, argued that the reintroduction of ICTN would further add up to the cost of cargo clearance in the country.
He revealed that with the intervention of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) acting on his petition, ICTN was suspended at the airports and wondered why the same scheme already jettisoned by the government was being reintroduced by the same government.
His words: “ICTN is a fraud. This is a fastest way of killing the economy. We are waiting for them.”
He called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to implement automation of cargo clearance and delivery, stating that NCS had promised its B’Odogwu would address cargo clearance and facilitate trade.
Continuing, Musa who is the National Vice President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) said: “I want to believe it is achievable. What we need is full automation. We are against the use of companies but rather individuals with their identity numbers in cargo clearance. Everything from inspection to delivery should be automated. This is where the integrity of the Nigeria Customs Service will come to play”.
On whether NCS will allow automation to work or Customs agents will declare correctly, he averred that the world is changing and Nigeria cannot be left behind.
According to him, nobody wants change. The world is migrating from analog. This is why investors do not want to come to Nigeria. To advance our economy, we must embrace change – automation. There is nothing special in the revenue collection by Customs but what we need from the service is transparency.
He maintained that he was the lone voice calling for the privatisation of NCS pointing out that anybody can generate revenue.
According to Musa, PIDA did it during the administration of General Sanni Abacha. Customs generating revenue is not special; a consortium can generate revenue while Customs is saddled with border patrol. We did it before and we can do it again. If Customs is not transparent enough, I will not hesitate to call on the government to privatise it.
He argued that incessant increase in customs duties and revenue target was an indicator that the national economy was not working and was also a lazy way by the politicians to run the economy.
“The Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) is a fraud. Agents should have gone to court to challenge it. It is illegal. The CISS money was meant for inspection agencies to run their operations. EFCC should have investigated the government over the trillion of Naira generated through CISS”, he said.
Musa stated that there was no truth in the claims in some quarters that foreigners have taken over freight forwarding in Nigeria.
According to the NAGAFF National Vice President, freight forwarding was an international job and everyone is free to practice it. Foreigners have not taken over freight forwarding in Nigeria. People need to understand that we live in a global neighborhood. You must have strength and capacity if you want to participate in freight forwarding. It is an international job. Government should create a level playing field for all actors. We collect a lot of revenue for the government but we get nothing. The Chinese government provides funds and enabling environment for her citizens to thrive everywhere. But it is not the case here in Nigeria.
He argued that the land border closure because of rice was an irrational when the nation does not have the capacity to produce enough rice to feed her citizens.
Musa averred that no nation closes her border against goods it lacks capacity to produce enough just as he expressed fears that the nation may become a dumping ground for other countries as Nigeria does not have capacity and infrastructure to compete competitively in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
His words: “We do not have production capacity to tap into AfCFTA. We may likely become the dumping ground. We do not have manufacturers again who can produce enough for local consumption and for export under AfCFTA”.
He disclosed that his fears about the National Single Window (NSW) has been allayed by the fact that it would not be handled alone by an agency just as he called on the government to set up a committee of trustworthy actors to supervise it.
He argued that there was nothing new in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as it has been with us for long.
“We cannot harness natural resources in our ocean if we do not put the right persons in the right places. The Minister loves talk shows and globetrotting. How do we harness the blue economy when you do not have ships, equipment? Year 2024 was filled with a lot of challenges and opportunities.
“In 2024, we had a lot of challenges. These include inconsistent in government policies, fluctuations in forex that plummeted volumes of cargo traffic and Customs putting pressure on importers with various ideas to meet its revenue target. We had a lot of opportunities to change the narratives but we never had associations strong enough to protect our interests. Hike in the cost of transportation due to incessant increase in diesel did not help the situation. The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) was handicapped by its teething problem as every freight forwarder bore his cross”, he added.
