Last February, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) gathered stakeholders to a roundtable discussion centered on the contentious implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN)
By Innocent Chukwu
The hall was charged. Discussions were straight to the point. It was a stakeholders’ roundtable meeting organized by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) at its Secretariat in Apapa, Lagos on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The stakeholders at the roundtable meeting on the planned implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) were in agreement on the importance and benefits of the scheme but were sharply divided as to how it should be implemented.
While some were in support of the implementation plan by the government, others were of the opinion that the scheme should be handled differently.
They named the benefits of the implementation of the scheme to include comprehensive monitoring of all shipments into the country to curb importation of harmful substances, increased revenue collection, improvement of the nation’s maritime trade amongst others.
Stakeholders who were opposed to the planned government implementation reasoned that there was no law backing it and therefore its implementation should not commence yet. This group of stakeholders further argued that the implementation of the ICTN was not backed by any law, while stressing that its implementation would paint the government as being lawless as well as the scheme resulting in higher clearing cost implications on shippers.
The Zonal Coordinator of Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Charles Orbih, who represented the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, assured stakeholders that the costs associated with the ICTN implementation would be offset by savings resulting from reduced delays, demurrage charges, and more efficient operations.
In his paper titled, “Proposed Cargo Tracking Note: A Second Look by Critical Stakeholders”, the Customs CG while addressing the issue of enabling law said that Section 28 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 explicitly empowers the Service to develop and maintain electronic systems for cargo tracking.
The CGC said, “This legal framework ensures proper authority for implementation while protecting stakeholder interests.
“The Nigeria Customs Service envisions a measured, phased implementation approach. Throughout this process, we will maintain open dialogue with stakeholders, incorporating feedback and making necessary adjustments to ensure the system serves its intended purpose without creating undue burden”.
He also cited international evidence from countries where similar schemes are in operation to support this claim.
Adeniyi disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service was actively working with stakeholders to establish a fee structure that balances system sustainability with business competitiveness.
Addressing concerns about bureaucracy and procedural complications, Adeniyi noted that the implementation strategy directly addresses these through system integration and process automation.
He added that instead of creating additional procedures, ICTN will streamline existing ones by providing a single platform for information submission and verification.
He noted that the focus should not just be on adopting new technology, but on fundamentally improving the way maritime trade is conducted in Nigeria.
Adeniyi further promised that the Service was ready to collaborate with stakeholders for the implementation to ensure that the ICTN serves the national interest while simultaneously facilitating international trade.
According to Adeniyi, “This initiative, re-introduced by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, offers concrete solutions to long-standing challenges in our ports.
“The benefits of International Cargo Tracking Note implementation are
substantial and far-reaching. The system significantly enhances security and risk management by providing information in advance about cargo, enabling better threat assessment and targeted inspections. “This enhanced security framework has proven effective in reducing cargo loss and theft in countries that have implemented the system.
“Furthermore, ICTN’s integration with existing systems will create a seamless information flow between customs, and other stakeholders. This integration enables real-time cargo tracking, faster manifest verification, and automated risk assessment. These improvements directly translate to reduced dwell time, lower demurrage charges, and more predictable cargo delivery schedules for businesses.”
In his speech, Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), noted that the ICTN initiative was launched many years ago.
The NSC boss who was represented by the Director Consumer Affairs, Celestine Akujobi, said that African Shippers Councils were advised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to monitor cargo movements, hence, some African countries have since started the implementation.
He explained that ICTN is a cargo facilitation program involving the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Customs Service. He emphasized that the NSC aims to minimize costs associated with ICTN, as it is not intended to generate revenue.
Akujobi argued that ICTN concept is a security issue and that whether NSC or Customs is in charge was immaterial, saying that what was important is its implementation as done in other climes.
He mentioned that Benin Republic implemented a similar system in 2006 and that Nigeria successfully implemented it earlier but it was later suspended. He expressed the NSC’s willingness to reintroduce the system and explore its benefits for all stakeholders.
In his argument, the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NDLCA, Lucky Eyis Amiwero, disputed claims that the ICTN is a UNCTAD-backed initiative, arguing that it lacks formal convention or rule status and its implementation in Nigeria is not tied to any service.
Amiwero stressed that the NSC was established to safeguard shippers’ interests, and lacks the legal authority to implement the ICTN.
He explained that ICTN originated with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and that its first three implementations were not tied to any specific service. He maintained that the implementation of ICTN in Benin Republic was tied to their Customs Service, highlighting that ICTN was already integrated into Customs operations and that assigning it to another agency would be redundant.
Amiwero said, “ICTN is not backed by law. It’s just to make money for a few people. It’s already subsumed in Customs law. It’s going to obstruct clearance of goods. It’s not backed by law and not tied to any service.”
In his own presentation, Dr. Eugene Nweke of Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC), said that research revealed that 32 countries in Africa are implementing ICTN, adding that there’s the need for it implementation in Nigeria for checks and balances. Nweke argued that ICTN would enhance compliance and ensure the safety and security of the nation.
