NCS, PEBEC Drive New Digital Push To End Port Bureaucracy

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a fully paperless port environment as part of efforts to improve trade efficiency and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks in cargo clearance.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this known on Friday, while receiving the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zahrah Audu, during a strategic meeting at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Adeniyi said the collaboration between the two institutions is aimed at revolutionising port operations through digital reforms that will accelerate cargo clearance and strengthen Nigeria’s position in global trade.

According to him, the Service has institutionalised regular engagements with stakeholders, including the American Business Council and other trade groups, to address operational challenges within the port system.

He explained that the consultations enable Customs to identify operational bottlenecks and receive direct feedback from businesses interacting with the Service at the nation’s ports.

The Customs boss also disclosed that the Service, in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO), recently conducted a Time Release Study (TRS) to analyse the time and cost of cargo clearance at Nigerian ports, using the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos as a case study.

He noted that the study involved shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority, licensed customs agents and financial institutions, with its findings released in a report publicly launched on January 26, 2026.

Adeniyi said the exercise provided valuable insights that are already guiding ongoing reforms within the Service.

Speaking on plans for round-the-clock port operations, he explained that previous attempts faced challenges because critical stakeholders such as banks, shipping companies and terminal operators were not fully integrated into the system.

He added that although most core Customs processes including pre-arrival documentation, cargo declaration, duty payment and release communication have already been digitised, delays still occur when some operators rely on physical documentation.

The CGC further highlighted investments in scanning technology and ICT infrastructure aimed at strengthening risk-based cargo management and reducing the need for physical examination of cargo.

According to him, “Development partners such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization have continued to encourage Nigeria to expand the use of non-intrusive inspection technologies in line with global best practices.”

Earlier, PEBEC Director-General Zahrah Audu said the council is implementing a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Programme to address operational challenges identified in its Business Facilitation Compliance Report released in November 2025.

She explained that the initiative is designed to improve efficiency across business-facing Ministries, Departments and Agencies by strengthening collaboration and removing operational bottlenecks affecting the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Audu said “PEBEC conducted a three-day operational assessment at Lagos ports in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority, where officials monitored cargo-handling processes from vessel arrival to cargo exit and consulted widely with regulators and private-sector stakeholders.”

She said the assessment revealed the need to strengthen joint vessel boarding by regulatory agencies, improve coordination of cargo inspections and increase the use 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 sufficient information for better operational planning at the ports.

According to her, effective use of such information would allow 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,” she said.

Adebakin added that the Service remains ready to address operational concerns raised through the PEBEC reporting platform, stressing that sustained collaboration between both institutions is essential to improving port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s business environment.

NCS, PEBEC Drive New Digital Push To End Port Bureaucracy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper