© 2026 Observater Surveys and Services Group. All rights reserved.
From the fertilizer terminals of Onne to the massive container flows of Lagos (Apapa/Tin Can) and the new frontier at Lekki Deep Sea Port. Observater Nigeria protects your commercial interests in Africa’s largest economy. We bridge the gap between international standards and local operational realities.
Nigeria feeds the world’s soil. With massive production from Indorama and Dangote, Bulk Urea is a critical export. We ensure the holds are chemically clean. We monitor temperature to prevent caking. We verify the Draft Survey to the kilogram, ensuring your Bill of Lading is unassailable.
In the high-stakes world of Nigerian Oil & Gas, volume discrepancy is measured in millions of dollars. Our Loss Control Superintendents operate in Port Harcourt, Warri, and offshore. We verify ullages, temperatures, and water cuts (OBQ/ROB) to protect Owners and Charterers from paper shortages.
Cocoa, Sesame Seeds, Cashew, Ginger. Nigeria’s non-oil exports are surging. But moisture is the enemy. We supervise stuffing at the warehouse. We install desiccants. We check container worthiness. We ensure your produce arrives in Europe or Asia in premium condition.
Discharging bulk food in humid conditions requires vigilance. Our Superintendents at Greenview (GDNL) and Apapa Bulk Terminal fight against moisture damage and pilferage. We monitor the grabs, the hoppers, and the trucks. We reconcile daily tallies to ensure the receiver gets every ton manifested.
In Nigerian waters, swell and currents make reading drafts an art and a science. Our surveyors use dampening tubes and density meters to get the true displacement. We don’t accept “approximate” figures. We defend your tonnage against aggressive shore scale discrepancies.
Frustrating, isn’t it? Trusting a tally provided by the very people handling your cargo. Our Independent Tally Clerks stand at the hook 24/7. We verify every bag. We cross-reference constantly against the manifest to catch the shortage before the truck even leaves the port gate.
The clock is ticking. The rain has stopped, but the hatches are still closed. Why? Without an experienced Superintendent, you are at the mercy of the stevedores’ pace. We get on board to push the operation. We coordinate the trucks, we optimize the grab cycles, and we fight to get your ship out of port before the penalty hits.
Imagine your steel arriving pitted and corroded. We inspect Steel Cargo prior to loading. If it’s damaged on the quay, we ensure the receipts are claused. We protect you from claims that aren’t yours to pay, ensuring the paper trail accurately reflects the physical reality of the cargo condition.
“Cappuccino” bunkers—fuel frothed with air—can register as tons of fuel that simply disappear. Frustrating? It’s theft. Our Bunker Surveyors sound the tanks and check the temperatures meticulously. We find the hidden pipes. We ensure you pay for fuel, not bubbles.
Chartering vessels for the West African trade is risky. Hull damage from fenders, grab damage to tank tops, and bunker discrepancies are common. We document the exact condition of the vessel upon delivery and redelivery, protecting you from unfair repair claims.
Operating in Nigeria can feel opaque. We change that. We send Daily Situation Reports (DSR) by 0800 WAT. Tonnage handled, weather delays, community issues, security alerts. We give you total situational awareness so you can make decisions from your HQ as if you were on the quay.
Lagos today. Onne tomorrow. Warri next week. Vetting a new surveyor every time is a headache. Observater Nigeria offers One Standard. One contact point. One reporting format. Reliability and integrity across the entire Nigerian coast.
Trusted by Nigerian Exporters, Global Traders & Insurers
Shipment of any consignment carries huge potential number of risks. These include loss of material through pilferages, shortages, poor handling and quality variations from contamination and/or transport damage. If not well managed, they can result in significant damages and financial loss for the commercial parties involved.
Imagine your Bulk Urea consignment loading in Onne. The air is thick with humidity. The ship’s draft reading differs from the shore scale by 500 MT. Rain clouds are gathering, threatening to turn your premium fertilizer into a solid block of cake. The operational exposure is immense. You are thousands of miles away, yet the success of this shipment determines your quarterly margin.
Now consider the arrival of a Bulk Wheat or Rice vessel in Lagos (Apapa). The discharge speed is critical to avoid demurrage, yet the threat of pilferage at the quayside is constant. Draft surveys show one figure, the silo intake shows another. Or perhaps it’s General Cargo and Steel destined for the hinterland, where improper handling during discharge could cause damages worth millions. Whether it’s Project Cargo for the Delta or Bagged Sugar, the risk of financial leakage is a daily reality that demands strict, independent oversight.
This is where Observater Nigeria serves as your commercial lifeline. We provide the transparency and traceability needed to thrive. We are your eyes and ears on the ground, actively mitigating risks and ensuring your commodities are handled safely and correctly. We are the difference between a claim and a clean receipt.
The commercial nerve center. Handling Containerized Exports, Bulk Wheat, Sugar, Petroleum Products, and Vehicles.
The Oil & Gas and Fertilizer hub. Specialized in Bulk Urea Loading, LNG, Pipe Exports, and Project Cargo for the offshore industry.
Strategic ports for crude exports, cocoa shipments, and specialized project logistics in the Delta region.
We are skilled and competent to handle:
In the volatile world of international trade, downtime is not an option and uncertainty is a liability. Your operations require a fail-safe. We don’t just inspect; we safeguard the heartbeat of your supply chain. When you cannot be there, our presence ensures your standards are not just met, but enforced.
“We ensure that quality and safety requirements are adhered to, protecting your very existence in the market.”
Technical interventions designed to verify quantity, protect quality, and accelerate operations in Nigerian ports.
Export
Critical supervision for fertilizer majors. We inspect hold cleanliness to grain-clean standards, ensuring no rust or residue contaminates the white bulk. We monitor loading temperatures and prevent moisture ingress during rain.
Quantity
The gold standard for bulk weight determination. In ports with challenging swell, our surveyors use advanced techniques to calculate accurate displacement. We challenge shore scale figures to protect your Bill of Lading weight.
Quality
For Cocoa, Sesame, and Ginger. We check moisture content before stuffing. We oversee the placement of desiccants (dry bags) and Kraft paper to prevent “container rain” and mold growth during the voyage to Europe/Asia.
Liquid Bulk
Superintending STS operations and terminal discharge. We witness ullaging, temperature, and water interface checks. We calculate VEF (Vessel Experience Factor) to identify shortages on Crude, PMS, and AGO cargoes.
Cost Saving
Bunkering in West Africa carries high risk of short supply. We detect “Cappuccino” (aerated) fuel, verify tank measurements, and ensure you receive the exact metric tonnes ordered, saving thousands in fuel costs.
Logistics
Supervision at warehouses in Kano, Lagos, or Sagamu. We tally the bags/cartons, check package condition, verify the seal number, and ensure maximum space utilization for export containers.
Food Security
For Wheat, Sugar, and Salt. We monitor stevedores to prevent spillage and theft. We manage the bagging lines at the quay and tally the trucks leaving the port gates to reconcile delivered weight.
Forensic
Investigation of wet damage, contamination, or handling damage. We determine the root cause (e.g., hatch leak vs. pre-shipment) and assess the quantum of loss for insurance claims.
Mining
Lithium, Zinc, Lead ore exports. We conduct TML (Transportable Moisture Limit) monitoring to prevent liquefaction and supervise the weighing and sampling of mineral ores.
Preparation
Verifying that trucks, warehouses, and ship’s holds are clean and free from contaminants before cargo is loaded. Crucial for food-grade cargoes like Rice and Wheat to prevent rejection.
Verification
Stationing inspectors at shore scales to witness the weighing of trucks. We verify the empty (tare) weight to prevent manipulation (e.g., fuel tank tricks) and record the gross weight for independent reconciliation.
Specialized
Critical supervision for high-value assets. We oversee the loading and discharge of Project Cargo. We review lifting plans, inspect rigging gear, and monitor the stability of the vessel during the lift.
Charter
Condition and Bunker survey at the beginning or end of a time charter. We document the state of holds, decks, and cranes, and certify the fuel on board (ROB), protecting the Charterer from unfair damage claims.
Security
Application of high-security seals to hatch covers and manholes. We verify integrity at discharge to prove no pilferage or tampering occurred during transit or anchorage.
Agri-Exports
Supervising fumigation processes for Cocoa and Sesame. We verify dosage levels, sealing effectiveness, and exposure time to ensure pest-free arrival at destination ports.
Solid Minerals
Crucial for mineral concentrates. We monitor moisture content against the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) to prevent liquefaction risks during the voyage.
Inventory
Volumetric survey of bulk cargo stockpiles in warehouses or open yards using laser measurement and density factors to estimate total tonnage for inventory audits.
Liability
Monitoring operations for damage to the vessel or cargo by stevedores. We issue immediate damage notifications and obtain acknowledgement to secure repair claims.
Quality
Drawing representative samples of grains, oils, or minerals according to ISO or GAFTA rules. Samples are sealed jointly with the Master as the binding reference for quality.
Safety
Inspection of cargo securing for breakbulk and project cargo. We verify forces and lashing materials against the Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) to ensure seaworthiness.
Communication
We provide detailed Daily Situation Reports (DSR) and maintain a precise Statement of Facts (SOF), recording all operational events, delays, and weather interruptions for laytime calculations.
Cargoes arriving in Europe/Asia with moisture damage or contamination face rejection. Our pre-shipment inspections and stuffing supervision prevent this financial disaster.
Buyers claiming short weight? Our Draft Surveys and Tally Reports provide the independent evidence you need to refute claims and get paid in full.
Lagos ports can be congested. We coordinate directly with stevedores and terminals to maximize discharge rates and get your vessel out of port faster.
We maintain a strict watch at the ship’s rail and the port gate. We tally every truck to ensure the cargo discharged is the cargo received.
The Nigerian Standard
Real examples of how our independent superintendents saved clients money.
Scenario: Shore scale showed 200 MT less than Bill of Lading.
Action: Our Draft Survey confirmed the ship’s figure was accurate. We audited the shore scale tickets and found double-counting errors.
Result: Claim Defended Successfully.
Scenario: High humidity threatened a bulk urea shipment.
Action: Our Superintendent halted loading during a light drizzle that the terminal ignored. We enforced hatch closure until humidity dropped.
Result: Cargo arrived with zero caking.
Scenario: Containers presented for stuffing had high floor moisture.
Action: We rejected the containers and demanded replacements. We oversaw the lining with Kraft paper and desiccant installation.
Result: No mold claim at destination.
You cannot manage what you cannot see. Observater Africa uses Cloud-Based Tallying. Our clerks input data into tablets quay-side, giving you a live dashboard of discharge progress, truck turnaround times, and remaining tonnage.
Sent every morning at 0800 WAT. Includes Prev 24hrs disch, Balance on board, Weather delays, and ETD.
Every tally sheet and photo is geotagged and timestamped. We provide an irrefutable digital record of when and where measurements were taken.
We don’t wait for the final report to tell you bad news. If we detect contamination, shortages, or theft, we escalate to stakeholders immediately for remedial action.
Our superintendents on the job. From draft readings on the rope ladder to tallying in the warehouse, we are always visible.
Don’t leave your discharge to chance. Appoint our Marine Surveyors to guarantee quantity, protect quality, and minimize demurrage.
When precision matters, Observater Surveys Group is your Partner of Choice
© 2026 Observater Surveys and Services Group. All rights reserved.