The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to overhaul port operations, aiming to reduce Nigeria’s average cargo clearance time to under seven days by the end of 2026 and position the country’s ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways in Africa.
Vice President Kashim Shettima stated this on Thursday during the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the upcoming National Single Window (NSW) initiative, expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2026, would serve as a game changer by harmonising documentation, minimising human contact, and ensuring full transparency in the cargo clearance process.
“By the end of 2026, we aim to reduce average cargo clearance time in Nigeria to under seven days and to position our ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways on the continent,” the Vice President said.
“The forthcoming implementation of the National Single Window will be a game changer—a single platform that harmonises documentation, minimises human contact, and brings full transparency to the cargo clearance process.”
Reforming port operations
Shettima directed key agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), NAFDAC, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and others, to develop a roadmap to make Nigeria’s weights and measures framework more effective.
According to him, accurate weighing and measuring systems are crucial to ensuring transparency, protecting consumers, and improving trade efficiency.
The Vice President expressed concern that cargo dwell time at Nigerian ports currently averages between 18 and 21 days, compared to five to seven days in Ghana and four days in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
“The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is estimated to be 30 per cent higher than in many of our regional peers,” he noted.
“Our ports record cargo dwell times 475% above the global average benchmark. These inefficiencies are not just statistics; they are symptoms of an economic ailment that costs us investments, drives up consumer prices, and weakens our export competitiveness.”
Executive order to drive efficiency
Shettima said the Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, currently before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would serve as one of the boldest steps toward reversing existing inefficiencies.
“It marks the dawn of a new era—an era where agencies work together, where systems speak a common language, and where traders and investors can depend on predictability, transparency, and speed,” he added.
The Vice President stressed that success would depend on inter-agency cooperation, not competition.
“The era of siloed operations must end. Inter-agency rivalry must give way to synergy. We are only as efficient as our collaboration allows, and our success will depend not only on what we do individually but on what we achieve together.”
Stakeholders seek synergy
Earlier, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Audu, underscored the economic cost of inefficiency at Nigeria’s ports and urged stakeholders to align efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, also highlighted the importance of collaboration in achieving port efficiency.
“Until there is collaboration and partnership, you cannot achieve efficiency at the ports,” Dantsoho said.
He listed ongoing reforms, including technology adoption, infrastructure upgrades, and human capacity development, as key to improving competitiveness within Africa and beyond.
What you should know
- In a related development recently, Peter Obi, former governor and presidential candidate, had called on the Federal Government to diversify port development beyond Lagos, following the approval of $1 billion (approx. N1.5 trillion) for the modernisation of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports.
- Obi stressed the need for equitable infrastructure investment across Nigeria’s maritime sector.
- While acknowledging that modernising Lagos ports is commendable, Obi warned that the country’s heavy concentration of port activities in Lagos creates chronic congestion, high demurrage costs, and environmental pressures that undermine trade efficiency.
