CGC Adeniyi Launches Green Channel at Lekki Port to Accelerate Cargo Clearance, Cut Delays
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has unveiled a new Green Channel initiative at the Lekki Deep Sea Port aimed at simplifying cargo clearance procedures, reducing port congestion, and enhancing operational efficiency for importers and other maritime stakeholders.
The launch ceremony, held on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, represents a significant milestone in the reform agenda of the Nigeria Customs Service, which has been intensifying efforts to modernise port operations through technological innovation and closer collaboration with industry players.
Addressing stakeholders at the unveiling, Adeniyi explained that the Green Channel system was conceived by the Lekki port authorities and subsequently approved by Customs management as a targeted response to long-standing operational bottlenecks.
According to him, persistent challenges in container stacking, physical examination processes, and documentation verification at major seaports have historically slowed cargo processing and increased costs for businesses.
He stated that the new arrangement provides a streamlined corridor through which containers can be transferred directly from vessels to a designated access point for authorised users.
During this movement, each container is digitally tracked, ensuring transparency, security, and efficiency in cargo handling. The system, he noted, eliminates unnecessary delays by reducing bureaucratic procedures while maintaining regulatory oversight.
“This particular intervention helps to move containers right from the vessel into a dedicated place where customers can have access. And between the time the container moves from the vessel to this particular place, it is tracked,” the Customs chief said.
Adeniyi emphasised that the initiative is anchored on a framework of trust between the Service and compliant stakeholders. He stressed that importers, freight forwarders, and terminal operators must adhere strictly to regulatory standards for the system to function effectively.
“What we have done today is a product of the kind of trust that we have invested in our stakeholders and the confidence that we also have in them, that they would do this in the spirit of compliance and trade facilitation,” he added.
Industry observers say the introduction of the Green Channel is expected to improve turnaround times for cargo clearance, reduce demurrage costs, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub. By accelerating the movement of goods through ports, the system could also help ease supply chain disruptions and support economic growth.
Beyond immediate operational gains, Adeniyi highlighted the broader economic implications of the initiative, noting that faster clearance processes would lower the cost of doing business, encourage legitimate trade, and ultimately boost revenue generation for Customs.
The Green Channel programme forms part of a wider strategy by the Service to align Nigeria’s port operations with international best practices, signalling a continued shift towards digitalisation, efficiency, and private-sector partnership in the country’s maritime and trade ecosystem.
