The Federal Authorities has reaffirmed its dedication to overtake port operations, aiming to scale back Nigeria’s common cargo clearance time to underneath seven days by the top of 2026 and place the nation’s ports among the many high three best commerce gateways in Africa.
Vice President Kashim Shettima acknowledged this on Thursday through the second assembly of the Ports and Customs Effectivity Committee on the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He mentioned the upcoming Nationwide Single Window (NSW) initiative, anticipated to be applied within the first quarter of 2026, would function a sport changer by harmonising documentation, minimising human contact, and making certain full transparency within the cargo clearance course of.
“By the top of 2026, we purpose to scale back common cargo clearance time in Nigeria to underneath seven days and to place our ports among the many high three best commerce gateways on the continent,” the Vice President mentioned.
“The forthcoming implementation of the Nationwide Single Window will probably be a sport changer—a single platform that harmonises documentation, minimises human contact, and brings full transparency to the cargo clearance course of.”
Reforming port operations
Shettima directed key businesses, together with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), NAFDAC, Requirements Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and others, to develop a roadmap to make Nigeria’s weights and measures framework more practical.
In response to him, correct weighing and measuring methods are essential to making sure transparency, defending customers, and bettering commerce effectivity.
The Vice President expressed concern that cargo dwell time at Nigerian ports at the moment averages between 18 and 21 days, in comparison with 5 to seven days in Ghana and 4 days in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
“The price of clearing items in Nigeria is estimated to be 30 per cent greater than in a lot of our regional friends,” he famous.
“Our ports report cargo dwell occasions 475% above the worldwide common benchmark. These inefficiencies will not be simply statistics; they’re signs of an financial ailment that prices us investments, drives up client costs, and weakens our export competitiveness.”
Government order to drive effectivity
Shettima mentioned the Government Order on Joint Bodily Inspection, at the moment earlier than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would function one of many boldest steps towards reversing current inefficiencies.
“It marks the daybreak of a brand new period—an period the place businesses work collectively, the place methods converse a standard language, and the place merchants and traders can rely on predictability, transparency, and pace,” he added.
The Vice President confused that success would rely on inter-agency cooperation, not competitors.
“The period of siloed operations should finish. Inter-agency rivalry should give option to synergy. We’re solely as environment friendly as our collaboration permits, and our success will rely not solely on what we do individually however on what we obtain collectively.”
Stakeholders search synergy
Earlier, the Director-Common of the Presidential Enabling Enterprise Atmosphere Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Audu, underscored the financial value of inefficiency at Nigeria’s ports and urged stakeholders to align efforts to enhance the Ease of Doing Enterprise.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, additionally highlighted the significance of collaboration in attaining port effectivity.
“Till there’s collaboration and partnership, you can’t obtain effectivity on the ports,” Dantsoho mentioned.
He listed ongoing reforms, together with expertise adoption, infrastructure upgrades, and human capability improvement, as key to bettering competitiveness inside Africa and past.
What you must know
- In a associated improvement not too long ago, Peter Obi, former governor and presidential candidate, had referred to as on the Federal Authorities to diversify port improvement past Lagos, following the approval of $1 billion (approx. N1.5 trillion) for the modernisation of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports.
- Obi confused the necessity for equitable infrastructure funding throughout Nigeria’s maritime sector.
- Whereas acknowledging that modernising Lagos ports is commendable, Obi warned that the nation’s heavy focus of port actions in Lagos creates continual congestion, excessive demurrage prices, and environmental pressures that undermine commerce effectivity.