Customs, PEBEC Move to Accelerate Digital Reforms at Nigerian Ports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming Nigeria’s port operations through sweeping digital reforms aimed at eliminating bureaucratic delays and enhancing the country’s competitiveness in global trade.

This renewed push for modernisation followed a high-level strategic meeting between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Audu, held on Friday, 6 March 2026, at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, Adeniyi reiterated the Service’s determination to achieve a fully paperless port environment, explaining that digitalisation remains central to the Federal Government’s broader trade facilitation agenda.

According to him, integrating modern technology into cargo clearance procedures will significantly reduce delays, eliminate unnecessary paperwork and enhance transparency across Nigeria’s maritime logistics chain.

He noted that the Customs Service has institutionalised periodic consultations with critical stakeholders within the trade ecosystem, including business associations and international investors, as part of efforts to identify operational challenges and improve service delivery at the nation’s ports.

“Such consultations enable the Service to identify operational bottlenecks and obtain direct feedback from businesses that interact with Customs at the nation’s ports,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs boss also disclosed that the Service recently conducted a comprehensive Time Release Study in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The study, which examined the time and cost associated with cargo clearance procedures, used Tin Can Island Port as a case study.

The exercise involved a wide spectrum of stakeholders including shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority, licensed customs agents and financial institutions. Findings from the study were compiled into a report that was publicly unveiled on 26 January 2026.

Adeniyi explained that the inclusive nature of the study ensured that the findings accurately reflected operational realities within Nigerian ports.

“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,” he said.

According to him, several concerns raised by stakeholders during the study have already been addressed, while others will inform the next phase of reforms within the Service.

On the issue of round-the-clock port operations, Adeniyi emphasised that achieving effective 24-hour operations requires the full cooperation of all stakeholders within the maritime and logistics value chain.

He recalled that a previous attempt by the Service to implement round-the-clock port operations encountered challenges because key operators such as banks, shipping companies and terminal operators were not fully integrated into the arrangement.

“We once deployed officers to support round-the-clock port operations, but the effort faced challenges because other critical operators were not fully integrated into the system,” he explained.

The Customs chief further revealed that the Service has already digitised most of its core operational processes, including pre-arrival documentation, cargo declaration, duty payments and communication of cargo release approvals.

However, he observed that delays sometimes still occur when certain operators continue to rely on manual documentation. “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 also highlighted ongoing investments in advanced scanning technology and modern ICT infrastructure to strengthen risk-based cargo management and reduce dependence on physical cargo inspections.

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 technology in line with international best practices.

In her remarks, Audu disclosed that PEBEC is currently implementing a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Programme designed to tackle operational challenges identified in its Business Facilitation Compliance Report released in November 2025.

She explained that the programme aims to improve efficiency across Ministries, Departments and Agencies that interface with businesses by fostering closer collaboration and removing administrative bottlenecks that hinder the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

As part of the initiative, PEBEC recently conducted a three-day operational assessment at Lagos ports in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority. During the exercise, officials observed cargo handling processes from vessel arrival to cargo exit while engaging regulators and private sector operators across the port system.

“The exercise enabled us to identify key operational challenges affecting port efficiency and to develop practical recommendations for improvement,” Audu said.

Among the key issues identified were the need to strengthen joint vessel boarding by regulatory agencies, improve coordination of cargo inspections and deepen the adoption of digital technology in port operations.

Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, emphasised that vessel arrival schedules already provide sufficient information for operational planning at ports.

According to her, better use of such data would enable Customs to deploy officers more strategically rather than maintaining personnel at terminals while waiting for vessels to arrive.

“The concept of 24-hour port operations should focus on smarter deployment of personnel based on vessel schedules, not merely extending working hours,” Adebakin noted.

She further affirmed the Service’s readiness to address operational issues raised through the PEBEC reporting platform, stressing that sustained collaboration between both institutions will be critical to improving port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s overall business environment.

Officials also highlighted several trade facilitation tools introduced by the Customs Service to accelerate cargo clearance for compliant traders. These include the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, the Advance Ruling System and the One-Stop-Shop initiative, all designed to support the Federal Government’s goal of promoting efficient and transparent trade operations across Nigeria’s ports.