Customs, PEBEC Push Paperless Ports to Cut Cargo Delays and Boost Trade
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has renewed its push for a fully paperless port system as part of broader efforts to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve cargo clearance efficiency across the country’s seaports.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this known during a strategic meeting with the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Audu, at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday.
The engagement underscores growing collaboration between both institutions to deepen digital reforms and reposition Nigeria’s ports as competitive gateways for global trade.
Adeniyi said the Service has institutionalised regular consultations with key stakeholders, including the American Business Council and various trade associations, to identify operational challenges and improve coordination within the port ecosystem.
According to him, “Such consultations allow the Service to identify operational bottlenecks and obtain direct feedback from businesses that interact with Customs at the nation’s ports.”
As part of ongoing reforms, the Customs boss revealed that the Service recently conducted a Time Release Study (TRS) with the World Customs Organisation to scientifically measure the time and costs associated with cargo clearance at Nigerian ports.
Tin Can Island Port in Lagos was used as the case study, with participation from shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority, licensed customs agents and financial institutions. The findings were compiled in a report publicly launched on 26 January 2026.
“We deliberately involved every segment of the port community in the exercise so that the findings would reflect the real operational environment. The report has already provided valuable insights that are guiding some of the reforms we are implementing,” Adeniyi said.
He noted that while some stakeholder concerns have already been addressed, others will shape ongoing policy adjustments and operational improvements within the Service.
Adeniyi also addressed the debate around 24-hour port operations, stressing that the initiative would only succeed if all operators within the logistics chain are fully integrated.
“We once deployed officers to support round-the-clock port operations, but the effort faced challenges because other critical operators such as banks, shipping companies and terminal operators were not fully integrated into the arrangement,” he said.
According to him, the Customs Service has already digitised most core processes, including pre-arrival documentation, cargo declaration, duty payment and release communication.
“Where delays still occur, they are often linked to operators who continue to rely on physical documentation. That is an area we intend to address in the coming months,” Adeniyi added.
He further disclosed that the Service is investing in advanced scanning technology and ICT infrastructure to strengthen risk-based cargo management and reduce dependence on physical cargo examinations.
Development partners including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation have continued to encourage Nigeria to expand the use of non-intrusive inspection technology in line with global best practices, he said.
In her remarks, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Audu, said the council is implementing a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Programme aimed at addressing operational challenges identified in its Business Facilitation Compliance Report released in November 2025.
She explained that the programme seeks to improve efficiency across ministries, departments and agencies that interface with businesses by strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
As part of the initiative, PEBEC conducted a three-day operational assessment at Lagos ports in partnership with the Nigerian Ports Authority. Officials observed cargo handling processes from vessel arrival to cargo exit and held consultations with regulators and private sector stakeholders.
“The exercise enabled us to identify key operational challenges affecting port efficiency and to develop practical recommendations for improvement,” Audu said.
Among the issues identified were the need for stronger coordination during joint vessel boarding by regulatory agencies, improved alignment in cargo inspection procedures and wider deployment of technology in port operations.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said vessel arrival schedules already provide adequate information for planning port operations.
According to her, effective use of such data would enable the Service to deploy officers more strategically rather than maintaining personnel at terminals while awaiting vessel arrivals.
“The concept of 24-hour port operations should focus on smarter deployment of personnel based on vessel schedules, not merely extending working hours,” Adebakin said.
She added that the Service is prepared to address operational concerns raised through the PEBEC reporting platform, stressing that sustained collaboration remains critical to improving port efficiency.
The Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade also highlighted several trade facilitation tools introduced by the Service to accelerate cargo clearance for compliant traders.
These include the Authorised Economic Operator programme, Advance Ruling Systems and the One-Stop-Shop initiative, all designed to support the Federal Government’s objective of improving trade efficiency and ease of doing business in Nigeria.
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