Non-oil export: We handled 40,000 TEUs of export containers in one year–Shipping Company

 

Maureen Aguta

 

As Nigeria transits from an import dependent economy to a growing export economy, indication was that the country’s non-oil export has continue rise steady in recent times as the biggest export shipping company in Nigeria, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has confirmed that it handled over 40,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEUs) of export containers for Nigerian shippers, in the last 12 months.

Deputy Managing Director of MSC, Jacob Losso, disclosed this at a training workshop for maritime journalists which it co-sponsored with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos, last Friday.

According to him, the volume of goods handled by the company for the country in 2024 surpassed that of 2023.

He disclosed that the exports, which are mostly agricultural produce including; Soya beans, Sesame seeds and Cocoa were shipped to different countries globally.

He said, “The country is doing more exports at this time than it was last year even though the number is still relative to the import volume.

“In the past 12 months, MSC has shipped out over 40,000 TEUs. I don’t have the exact number off the top of my head, but I know it’s over 40,000. The majority of export items in Nigeria are agricultural commodities. So, you have a number of Soybeans being one. Sesame seed, you have Cocoa, and a number of other crops.

“MSC is a global shipping company, so we are exporting all over the world. The majority is shared between all the continents.”

Losso explained that the export volumes would have increased but the recent flood that ravaged the Northern part of the country affected the farming output, impacting export figures.

“Sadly, here were also some natural disasters in Nigeria that affected the farming output in the north, and the flooding. We hope that these numbers continue to grow. But, at this moment, yes, there are still empty containers shipped out of the country because there is not a match back to 100 per cent between what is available for export and what is being imported,” he said.

Speaking on the rejection of Nigeria’s export abroad due to incessant delay of export cargoes especially perishable goods which go through at the nation’s ports, Losso said while the Shipping Line is interested in ensuring that export goods are facilitated and requirements streamlined, there are processes in place that the company does not have direct control of.

His words: “As a shipping company, we do not want exports rolling over in any way. We want to expedite the movement of goods because our benefit is in the movement of our boxes, generally the full movement. So, we are encouraging the export.

“As I said, we are the number one export line in Nigeria at the moment. So, clearly, exporters are enjoying our service more than some of the other lines. But it would have to be on a case-by-case basis as to what issue they are having because, we are not trying to roll over cargo or have it waiting in ports unnecessarily long.

“The documentation doesn’t need to be lengthy. So, exporters need to be well-educated as to the documents necessary and the timeliness of those documents because we, as a shipping line, cannot load cargo without all of these documents being certified by customs and the other agencies involved.”

On container deposit refund and failure of some shipping companies to refund the fee to consignee even when containers have been returned, Losso said the refund process at MSC takes 48 hours for verified accounts once a container is returned within the stipulated free time period and undamaged.

“At that point, once it is returned, and the importer has an account with us that is known and verified then the refund process will happen within 48 hours. But for new customers, to verify the accounts, all of these things take a little bit of time and patience.

“Once somebody gets known to us, it becomes a smooth process. So, if you talk to the larger importers, they are not having any issues. Most of these cases are one-off clients that may not have the knowledge,” Losso said.