By Seun Ibiyemi
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has reiterated the Service’s commitment to creating a fully paperless port environment as part of ongoing reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation and eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Adeniyi made this known on Friday during a high-level strategic meeting with the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zahrah Audu, at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
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The Customs boss said the collaboration between the two institutions is designed to integrate advanced technology into cargo clearance processes and reposition Nigeria as a competitive hub for global trade.
According to him, the Service has institutionalised regular engagements with stakeholder groups, including the American Business Council Nigeria and other trade associations, to address operational concerns and improve cooperation within the trade ecosystem.
“Such consultations allow the Service to identify operational bottlenecks and obtain direct feedback from businesses that interact with Customs at the nation’s ports,” Adeniyi said.
He disclosed that the Service, in partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO), recently conducted a Time Release Study (TRS) to scientifically measure the time and cost involved in cargo clearance processes at Nigerian ports, using Tin Can Island Port in Lagos as a case study.
The study involved shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority, licensed customs agents and financial institutions, with its findings compiled in a report publicly launched on January 26, 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.
Speaking on efforts to introduce 24-hour port operations, the CGC noted that such an initiative requires full collaboration across the logistics value chain.
He recalled that a previous attempt to implement round-the-clock operations faced challenges because critical stakeholders, including banks, shipping companies and terminal operators, were not fully integrated into the process.
Adeniyi added that the Service is already advancing plans for a fully digital customs environment, noting that most core processes such as pre-arrival documentation, cargo declaration, duty payment and release communication have been digitised.
“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,” he said.
The CGC also highlighted ongoing investments in scanning technology and ICT infrastructure to strengthen risk-based cargo management and reduce reliance on physical cargo examination.
According to him, development partners such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization have encouraged Nigeria to expand the use of non-intrusive inspection technology in line with global best practices.
Earlier, Audu said PEBEC is currently implementing a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Programme designed to address operational challenges identified in its Business Facilitation Compliance Report released in November 2025.
She explained that the initiative aims to improve efficiency across business-facing Ministries, Departments and Agencies by fostering stronger collaboration to eliminate bottlenecks affecting the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
As part of the programme, PEBEC conducted a three-day operational assessment at Lagos ports in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority, observing cargo-handling processes from vessel arrival to cargo exit while consulting widely 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.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said vessel arrival schedules already provide sufficient information for effective operational planning at the ports.
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She noted that proper use of such information would enable Customs to deploy officers more strategically rather than keeping 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.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade reiterated the effectiveness of trade facilitation tools introduced by the Service to speed up cargo clearance for trusted traders.
These include the Authorised Economic Operator programme, Advance Ruling System and the One-Stop-Shop initiative aimed at enhancing trade efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s business environment.
