ANLCA Secures Win as Customs Suspends Controversial 20-Fold Licensing Fee Hike

By DAPO OLAWUNI

There are indications that the proposed increment in licensing fees by the Nigeria Customs Service has been suspended.
National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Emenike Nwokeoji confirmed this on Tuesday at an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at its Inde Dikko headquarters in Festac, Lagos.

The Nigeria Customs Service had in 2025 a 20fold reviews in Licensing renewals. The fee for a new license would skyrocket from N515,000 to N10 million, while the annual renewal fee would increase from N215,000 to N4 million.

But speaking at the NEC meeting, Emenike said “We have been building dialogue and constructive engagement in relating with agencies of government. We all are aware that not long ago, Customs came up with a proposal to increase our license renewal and new license fee.

“I don’t want to bore you, but by the grace of God, we were able to reach a common ground with them that they allowed us to continue to renew our license at the old fee, they said that statusquo should remain” he said

The NEC meeting signaled an accomplishment in the Restoration mantra during his election campaign three years ago. The meeting was also attended by the President Emeritus of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu former Acting President of ANLCA, Dr Kayode Farinto, board chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Vice president, Prince Segun Oduntan, NECOM members, chapter chairmen and members of the board of trustees.

Also giving a goodwill meesage at the NEC meeting, Chairman of Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju sounded a wake up call to the ANLCA members, saying that the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria must rise above fragmentation.

“Association identities must no longer divide what professional destiny intends to unite.

We must collectively and purposefully reclaim the professional regulatory space, particularly the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), in line with its statutory mandate.

“Professional regulation must be driven by practitioners—not overshadowed by external administrative dominance. The time has come for a deliberate, lawful, and strategic professional realignment.

“With the emergence of Customs’ B’Odogwu platform, the One Stop Shop (OSS), the NPA Port Community System (under making) and the about to launched National Single Window (NSW) implementation, the operational landscape is rapidly transforming.

Rather than react in isolation, the profession must: develop unified technical engagement platforms; strengthen digital literacy and systems competence; Advocate improved connectivity and system efficiency through coordinated industry representation, technology is not our threat—unpreparedness is” he said