The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the agency’s determination to create a fully paperless port system, promising to intensify digital reforms aimed at improving efficiency in cargo processing.
He made the pledge after a high-level strategic meeting with the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Audu. The collaboration is designed to eliminate long-standing bureaucratic hurdles by introducing advanced technology into cargo clearance procedures, a move expected to position Nigeria as a more competitive player in global trade.
Adeniyi spoke on Friday, 6 March 2026, while receiving the PEBEC Director-General at Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
During the meeting, he noted that the Service has made it a routine to engage key stakeholders, including the American Business Council and other trade groups, as part of efforts to resolve operational challenges and strengthen collaboration across the trade ecosystem.
According to him, these consultations provide an opportunity for Customs to identify operational bottlenecks and receive direct feedback from businesses that interact with the agency at Nigeria’s ports.
The CGC further revealed that the Service recently partnered with the World Customs Organization to conduct a Time Release Study (TRS) — a scientific assessment of the time and cost involved in clearing goods at Nigerian ports — using the Tin Can Island Port as the pilot location.
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The Nigeria Customs Service also plans to deepen collaboration with other regulatory agencies to strengthen joint vessel boarding, improve coordination during cargo inspections, and expand the use of technology in port operations.
Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, explained that vessel arrival schedules already provide adequate information to guide operational planning at the nation’s ports.
She noted that when such data is properly utilised, the Service can deploy officers more efficiently instead of keeping personnel stationed at terminals while waiting for vessels to arrive.
According to her, the idea of a 24-hour port operation should not simply mean extending working hours but ensuring smarter and more strategic deployment of officers based on vessel schedules.
Adebakin also affirmed the Service’s readiness to resolve operational challenges reported through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) platform, stressing that sustained collaboration between Customs and PEBEC is crucial to improving port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s business climate.
Similarly, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade highlighted the effectiveness of several trade facilitation tools introduced by the Service to speed up cargo clearance for trusted traders. These include the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, the Advance Ruling System, and the One-Stop-Shop initiative, all designed to support the Federal Government’s drive to make trade processes in Nigeria faster and more efficient.
