Embrace CTN or remain uncompetitive in regional trade- Shippers’ Council warns Nigeria

Abiola Seun

Nigeria has remained the only country in West, Central Africa yet to implement the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), report has shown.

Nigeria competitors, Senegal, Cote D’ivoire, Angola, Congo, Cameroon, Benin and Togo presently implement CTN to plug revenue leakage in port operations but Nigeria has lagged behind in implementing the CTN.

Speaking over the weekend while responding to stakeholders’ criticism of the planned re-introduction of the automated system at the nation’s seaports, the Director, Consumer Affairs Department, Cajetan Agu reiterated that Nigeria still remain the only country in West and Central Africa to implement the single window project.

According to him, it is left for the country to compete with other neighbouring countries in the sub-region or perish.

He said, “CTN is being implemented in Senegal, Cote D’ivoire, Angola, Congo, Cameroon, Benin, Togo.”
Agu further stated that the re-introduction of CTN will curb the massive introduction of arms, banned drugs into the country.

Cajetan who also stated that the CTN will plug revenue leakage said it would stop under- declaration of cargoes by importers and clearing agents.

He said, “The CTN is being implemented in Nigeria still remain the only Country in west and central Africa to implement the Single window project.

The option is left for us to implement best practices , compete and survive or perish saying “the purpose of CTN is to check under-declaration, plug revenue leakage, improve security, generate statistics for informed decision making, assist the Nigerian Customs Service in the profiling of cargo and Shippers.
“It helps to monitor the freight rate trends on major trade routes. During the WTO round of negotiations the African groups were in favour of ICTN. NSC believes in best practices. We believe the project will turn around the fortunes of the maritime sector.”

“Anybody who want to criticise the system should come up with clear points on why it should not be implemented. Generally, Nigeria has phobia for automation. ICTN is an automated system just like Single Window.

He also said that the project was first introduced in USA after 9/11 attack to forestall the importation of dangerous cargo to US. In US, it is called Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD).

His words, “the system subjects all cargoes destined to America to a declaration at origin, name, nature, volume, value, origin, freight paid, the consigned addresses telephone number.

“Declare your cargo at originating port and forward same to appropriate government authority. In the past and in some climes, the Bill of Lading is ‘said to contain.
“The carriers will claim ignorance of what they are carrying hiding under the clause ‘ said to contain’,” he stated.
“Look at the increase in the illegal importation of tramadol and arms. People will manifest certain cargo at origin only to falsely declare a different thing at destination. CTN will capture all relevant information on cargo before it leaves originating port.”