The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to revamp port operations, aiming to reduce Nigeria’s average cargo clearance time to under seven days by the end of 2026 and rank 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 according to Nairametrics.
“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,” Shettima said.
He highlighted the upcoming National Single Window (NSW) initiative, expected in the first quarter of 2026, as a “game changer, a single platform that harmonises documentation, minimises human contact, and brings full transparency to the cargo clearance process.”
Shettima directed key agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), NAFDAC, and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to develop a roadmap for a more effective weights and measures framework, emphasizing that accurate systems are vital for transparency, consumer protection, and trade efficiency.
He noted that cargo dwell time in Nigeria currently averages 18–21 days, compared to five to seven days in Ghana and four days in Cotonou, Benin, with clearance costs estimated 30% higher than regional peers.
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“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,” he added.
Shettima also mentioned the Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, currently before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a bold step to end siloed operations.
“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 said, stressing that success depends on inter-agency cooperation.
Princess Zahrah Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), highlighted the economic cost of inefficiency at ports and urged stakeholders to align efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business.
NPA Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho emphasized collaboration as key to efficiency, noting ongoing reforms in technology, infrastructure, and human capacity development as essential for competitiveness within Africa and beyond.
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Image Credit: The Digger Newspaper Ltd.
