Customs Mobilises Apapa Port Stakeholders for Digital Licence, Permit Transition
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intensified engagement with maritime stakeholders to facilitate the transition to an automated licence and permit system aimed at improving cargo clearance and reducing operational bottlenecks at the nation’s ports.
The engagement, held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, brought together key players in the maritime industry to discuss the implementation of the digital platform and address technical challenges associated with port operations.
Speaking at the event, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Murtala Muazu, urged stakeholders to embrace the Service’s ongoing technological transformation, describing digitalisation as essential to improving efficiency in customs administration.
He explained that the reforms were designed to simplify procedures, ease congestion and create a more efficient operating environment for port users rather than impose additional burdens on them.
Muazu encouraged participants to raise concerns and seek clarification on the new system, noting that stakeholder engagement would help bridge knowledge gaps and facilitate a smoother implementation process.
He also disclosed that he had earlier met with a team from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to discuss clearance procedures and other technical issues affecting the port ecosystem.
The Comptroller of Licences and Permits, Ngozika Anozie, commended the officers responsible for developing and supporting the digital platform, acknowledging the contributions of stakeholders to the process.
Anozie stressed that the Service could not afford to lag behind ongoing technological advancements, urging officers and industry operators to adapt to emerging innovations.
She described the automation initiative as the fulfilment of an earlier commitment by the Service to digitise licences and permits across its operational zones, attributing the progress to teamwork and collaboration.
In a related development, the Apapa Area Command received representatives of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Mentoring Mission Team.
The visit focused on identifying opportunities for collaboration to strengthen existing mechanisms for combating money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, including efforts to tackle illicit activities within the maritime sector.
The engagements underscore the Customs Service’s broader efforts to modernise port procedures, strengthen institutional cooperation and improve the efficiency of trade-related processes through technology and stakeholder participation.
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