At Lagos airport, tension has mounted due to plans by Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited to increase cargo handling tariffs charged nationwide for clearing agents and freight-forwarders by 300%. The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents objects strongly, noting both companies lack adequate equipment as well as needing more manpower and equipment for cargo handling operations.
Sources at the airport allege that Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila of ANLCA’s National Secretary, who narrowly escaped physical violence by angry freight forwarders opposed to tariff increases from NAHCO or SAHCOL, barely managed to avoid being physically attacked by them. Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila confirmed this incident by not agreeing with an increase from either NAHCO or SAHCOL.
ANLCA sent a team of inspectors to NAHCO and SAHCOL in order to inspect what they believed was inadequate equipment. ANLCA discovered certain missing elements such as waiting rooms while others, like toilets, had been constructed haphazardly. Unfortunately, however, ANLCA was forced to leave abruptly when several boys suddenly appeared and announced the inspection couldn’t continue.
ANLCA National Secretariat reported that their chapter received reports that SAHCOL added twenty handling equipment while NAHCO said agents were blackmailing and that they have the required equipment as well. On Tuesday however, airport sources claimed otherwise; suggesting MMIA Chapter executives who represented ANLCA had reached an agreement between NAHCO and SAHCOL over a price increment for handling equipment.
Rejecting the tariff increase was due to both companies lacking sufficient equipment to operate their custom warehouses, leading to currency differences causing imports to decrease due to inadequate storage. If tariff increments remained unchanged it would cause even greater economic problems; cargo handling rates have raised tensions at Lagos Airport which necessitated an attack attempt that proved that everyone involved must engage in constructive dialogue in order to find sustainable and beneficial solutions that benefit all stakeholders involved.
