By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has commenced a coordinated reform drive aimed at improving operational efficiency at the nation’s ports and strengthening Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
The initiative was formally unveiled at the opening of a three day operational workshop held in Apapa on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, with stakeholders focusing on customs leadership in port efficiency, inspection reform and clearance timelines. The engagement brought together senior customs officials and reform partners to align processes that would reduce bottlenecks and improve cargo movement.
Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi outlined a reform direction anchored on five key priorities including joint inspections, risk based cargo clearance, optimisation of scanning infrastructure, enforcement of service timelines and stronger inter agency coordination. He noted that the emphasis of the Service has shifted from policy formulation to consistent execution of established procedures.
He further stressed the need for a transition to intelligence led cargo processing, pointing out that investments in digital systems and modern scanning infrastructure must translate into faster, more transparent and predictable clearance processes for traders and other port users. He also directed that the reform process would be tracked through an implementation framework designed to ensure accountability and continuous monitoring of progress across commands.
Adeniyi urged officers to maintain high standards of professionalism, discipline and integrity in the execution of their duties, noting that the success of the reform agenda would depend on consistent application rather than selective compliance.
The Director General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, reinforced the importance of adopting risk based and data driven inspection systems, stating that such an approach remains central to reducing delays, lowering business costs and improving overall efficiency within the trade environment.
She maintained that Nigeria’s border and port processes must evolve towards targeted inspection systems that focus on identified risks rather than routine checks on all consignments, a shift she described as critical to strengthening trade facilitation.
The Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, also noted that the evolving mandate of the Customs Service places it at the centre of economic growth and national development, adding that efficiency gains must be reflected uniformly across all operational commands.
In a related development, the Customs leadership and PEBEC delegation visited the National Single Window facility where they engaged with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, alongside other stakeholders, to review progress made so far and identify operational gaps affecting seamless trade processes.
The reform initiative reflects ongoing efforts by government agencies to modernise port operations, improve coordination among regulatory bodies and enhance Nigeria’s position in global trade rankings through more efficient and transparent customs procedures.
