Nigeria Customs Service Launches New System to Achieve 48-Hour Cargo Clearance
- The Nigeria Customs has launched a One-Stop-Shop initiative to reduce cargo clearance time to 48 hours
- The agency said the reform would eliminate duplicate inspections and reduce compliance costs for traders
- It added that the system was also designed to enhance revenue assurance, transparency, and inter-agency coordination
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) initiative aimed at cutting cargo clearance time to 48 hours and reducing procedural bottlenecks at the country’s seaports and land borders.
Source: UGC
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the development during the official launch of the platform in Lagos on Saturday, February 14, 2026. He was represented at the event by the Deputy Controller of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi.
Customs targets faster cargo clearance
According to a statement issued by the agency, Adeniyi stated that the OSS initiative is part of ongoing reforms to improve Nigeria’s business environment.
He said the programme aligns with Executive Order 001 and the Business Facilitation Act, both of which emphasise transparency, service delivery timelines, digitisation, and improved coordination among government agencies.
The Customs boss explained that the new system is structured to centralise risk management and clearance procedures within a coordinated digital and physical framework. He noted that the OSS replaces previously fragmented processes with an integrated clearance model.
Under the approved Standard Operating Procedure, valuation units, Customs Processing Centres, intelligence, enforcement, compliance monitoring, and gate operations will now operate within a single workflow. The system is supported by digital tracking tools and defined escalation channels to resolve disputes more efficiently.
NCS to eliminate duplication and delays
Adeniyi stated that the initiative is designed to eliminate duplicate reviews and sequential inspections that have historically slowed down cargo movement.
He said the platform supports a 48-hour clearance target and is expected to significantly improve on past cargo dwell times. By reducing repeated documentation requests and multiple checkpoints, the NCS aims to ease administrative burdens on traders.
The Customs chief acknowledged that recent reviews by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) recognised measurable improvements in service delivery. However, he noted that bureaucratic bottlenecks and weak enforcement of accountability measures remain challenges.
Within this reform framework, he added, the NCS has continued to upgrade its systems to strengthen national competitiveness, improve efficiency, and promote transparency.
Addressing systemic gaps
Adeniyi explained that over time, risk intervention at the declaration processing stage became fragmented, with various units operating independently and with limited coordination.
According to him, this structure resulted in multiple inspections, repeated documentation demands, and avoidable delays for importers and exporters.
He said internal reviews showed that many of the inefficiencies were caused by systemic gaps rather than inspection performance. Implementation studies on the OSS also revealed that frequent post-release interventions, sometimes conducted outside port environments, contributed to uncertainty and increased compliance costs.
He noted that the OSS was conceived as a structural solution rather than a temporary adjustment. By integrating all relevant units into a unified workflow, the platform seeks to improve accountability and ensure consistency in cargo clearance procedures.
Source: Twitter
Revenue assurance and transparency
The Customs boss further stated that the initiative is expected to strengthen revenue assurance through improved risk profiling, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement.
He added that digital audit trails and systematic performance monitoring would enhance transparency, while post-clearance controls would be largely handled by the Post Clearance Audit Unit in line with international best practices.
Adeniyi referenced global standards under the World Trade Organisation Trade Facilitation Agreement, noting that technology alone cannot drive institutional reform.
He said the deployment of the OSS has been accompanied by process reengineering, officer training, and structured change management programmes. Units that previously worked independently are now operating as integrated teams guided by shared performance indicators and clearly defined responsibilities.
According to him, recent performance assessments indicate that agencies with strong digital workflows and coordinated decision-making frameworks tend to achieve better service outcomes.
Nigeria Customs announces revenue generated in 2025
Legit.ng earlier reported that the NCS announced that it generated N7.2 trillion in revenue in 2025, attributing the strong performance to tighter border controls and the deployment of new digital systems.
It recorded over 2,000 seizures of prohibited and harmful goods valued at about N59 billion.
The agency had also earlier shared its plans to expand digital systems and deploy new cargo scanners to improve trade efficiency.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
