By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Behind the cranes and bustling container yards of Nigeria’s seaports, a growing vulnerability has emerged—cargo slipping through unchecked, revenue quietly leaking, and security gaps widening. 

More than a decade after tally clerks and on-board gangway security men were removed by the Nigerian Ports Authority in  2015, maritime stakeholders are sounding the alarm, warning that the absence of these frontline workers has left ports exposed to smuggling, fraud, and operational risks.

Tally clerks verify, count, and document cargo discharged from or loaded onto ships, trucks, and containers. 

They reconcile movements with ship manifests and waybills, ensuring accurate tonnage declarations and preventing revenue loss. 

Often described as “the eyes of government at the ports,” they play a critical role in detecting under-declared cargo and other abuses.

Gangway security men provide essential on-board security, preventing unauthorised access, stowaway attempts, and cargo theft, while ensuring compliance with port-security regulations. 

Without these roles, stakeholders say illicit cargo, under-declaration, and revenue leakages become far more likely.

Despite repeated calls from organised labour—especially the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, —and port operators, the government has yet to act. 

Speaking at the recent Dockworkers’ Day celebration, MWUN President-General, Francis Bunu said their absence has created a “serious security gap” in the maritime industry, especially at a time of rising national insecurity. 

According to him, the Nigerian port system is “incomplete” without tally clerks and on-board security men, noting that their absence makes it harder to detect or prevent the importation of arms, ammunition, and other prohibited items.

“Without tally clerks, the government cannot accurately track cargo entering or leaving the country. Some cargoes are entering underground because there is no proper tallying,” Bunu warned.

President of the National Association of Stevedoring Operators, NASO, Bolaji Sunmola, echoed these concerns. 

He lamented that the maritime industry is “bleeding” due to the absence of these key personnel and aligned fully with labour’s demand for their reinstatement.

“The issue of tally clerks is a very serious matter. The ports urgently need the services of tally clerks and on-board gangway security men. The government should do all that is possible to ensure their prompt return to the industry,” Sunmola stated.