The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has moved in to purge the country’s seaports and entire maritime domain of financial malpractice, corruption and restore investor confidence.
The ports have been plagued with corruption, ranging from examination of cargoes to clearance, as well as extortion from regulatory agencies, terminal operators and non-state actors, making Nigeria’s ports one of the most expensive in West and Central Africa.
To ensure its penetration into the maritime sector, the EFCC has sealed a strategic partnership with the National Compliance Joint Taskforce of Licensed Clearing Agents (NCJTFLCA).
The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate, Ahmed Muhammad Ghali, said the commission is out to flush out financial crimes at seaports, airports and land borders, attributing Nigeria’s poor foreign investment reputation partly to persistent corruption at entry points.
“The impression that port users and foreigners get at the first entry point has far-reaching consequences. Many are discouraged from investing here because they encounter unethical practices before entering the country. That is where your group comes in to help reverse that narrative through compliance enforcement and credible intelligence,” Ghali said.
Ghali emphasized that the EFCC is ready to act on verified information and protect whistleblowers.
“No matter how powerful the suspect is, once we get verifiable intelligence, we will pursue them. We are not here to destroy businesses; we are here to reform them. Compliance must become the watchword at every level of the maritime industry,” he said.
He also acknowledged gaps in EFCC’s operational knowledge of the freight industry and stressed the importance of mutual capacity building between both organisations.
“This partnership must go beyond just sealing an agreement, it must produce results. Let us lay the groundwork for joint operations and sensitisation campaigns that cut across all gateways – seaports, airports, and border stations,” he said.
The National President of the Taskforce, Dr Basil Chudi Nwolisa, emphasised the group’s mission to promote integrity and transparency within Nigeria’s freight forwarding, packaging, transport and logistics sectors.
According to him, corruption and non-compliance remain major threats to national revenue and investor confidence, particularly at ports and border entry points.
“If we succeed in reducing economic crimes, we not only boost government revenue but also restore dignity to the profession and attract genuine foreign investors,” he said.
He identified financial crimes, regulatory breaches and unethical practices within the logistics chain as systemic challenges that must be confronted with joint effort, noting that EFCC’s enforcement power would be vital to holding culprits accountable.
