The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has proposed sweeping increases to licensing and bond fees for clearing agents, bonded warehouses, and ship chandlers—a move that industry insiders warn could undermine ₦3.5 trillion in indigenous bonded-terminal investments and put 14,000 jobs at risk.

In Lagos and Ogun states, roughly 40 bonded terminals, each employing an average of 350 workers, are already operating on thin margins. The revised fees, slated to take effect in January 2026, could force many to shut down.

Licensing Fee Increases

Clearing agents/agencies: new licensing fee jumps from ₦515,000 to ₦10 million (an increase of 1,842%); renewal fees rise from ₦215,000 to ₦4 million (over 750% hike).

Bonded warehouses: new license costs soar from ₦60,000 to ₦20 million (a staggering 33,233% increase); renewal fees match this at ₦10 million.

Ship chandlers: licensing cost surges from ₦515 to ₦2 million; renewal becomes ₦1 million.

Bond Requirements Escalate

Clearing agents now need a ₦20 million bank bond, up from ₦350,000.

Bonded warehouses face an increase from ₦50 million to ₦500 million.

Ship chandlers require a bond of ₦2 million, exponentially higher than the previous ₦350,000.

Industry Impact & Warnings

The proposed fees have raised red flags across the sector. Stakeholders forecast sharp increases in storage and handling costs, intensified congestion at ports, slowed cargo volume processing, and a potential shift in market dominance toward financially robust foreign or cartel-backed players.

Typically, containers handled at bonded terminals are cheaper, costing ₦150,000 to ₦180,000, compared to ₦220,000 at main seaports—a difference of ₦40,000 to ₦70,000 per container. These increased licensing fees could erode that cost advantage.

In ship chandling, Nigeria stands to lose an estimated $15 billion in annual business, as vessels often source supplies from neighboring countries due to lack of local patronage—a potential outcome that critics say the new fees would worsen.

Frank Ogunojemite, President of the African Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), acknowledged the need for Customs modernization but stressed that the timing and extent of the hikes—amid ongoing economic hardship—could have devastating effects without accompanying relief measures.