The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has procured 67 new scanners to accelerate cargo clearance processes across the country’s seaports, marking a significant step toward reducing delays associated with physical inspections.
Comptroller General of the NCS, Bashir Wale Adeniyi, disclosed this in a message delivered at the 2025 AMSAY Conference hosted by Platform Communications in Lagos. Represented by Assistant Controller of Customs, Comptroller Abbas Oyindamola, Adeniyi said the initiative is part of the ongoing Nigeria Customs Trade Modernization Programme aimed at full automation of cargo documentation and clearance.
According to the NCS, the Service has invested ₦3.2 billion in the modernization programme, which is expected to generate over ₦250 billion in revenue over a 20-year concession period. The Comptroller General reported that the Apapa Area Command alone has already generated ₦1.3 trillion, underscoring the project’s early success.
Adeniyi highlighted several operational benefits of the modernization scheme, including a reduction in cargo clearance times from an average of 21 days to between 7 and 10 days. He added that vehicles and general cargoes are now cleared within one to seven hours at the Ports & Cargo Multi-purpose Terminal (PTML) at Tin Can Island Port.
The project also integrates the National Single Window initiative and the B’Odogwu digital platform, which has been successfully deployed at PTML and will soon be extended to the Tin Can Island Port Command.
Speaking on the broader goals, the Customs Chief emphasized that the National Single Window platform is designed to unify approximately 150 government agencies under a single online portal, significantly streamlining regulatory procedures at Nigeria’s ports.
The theme of the 2025 AMSAY Conference was “Automation and Digitization of Maritime Operations.”