NCS, PEBEC Unveil Reform Agenda to Transform Port Operations.

NCS, PEBEC Unveil Reform Agenda to Transform Port Operations.
By prince Benson Davies,

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) have launched a strategic reform agenda aimed at boosting port efficiency and enhancing Nigeria’s trade competitiveness. The initiative, unveiled at a three-day operational workshop in Apapa, seeks to improve operational efficiency and streamline clearance processes at Nigerian ports.

The workshop, themed “Customs Leadership in Port Efficiency, Inspection Reform and Clearance Timeline,” brought together stakeholders to discuss key strategies for transforming port operations. The reform agenda focuses on leveraging technology, enhancing collaboration, and implementing best practices to reduce clearance times and costs, ultimately driving economic growth.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, outlined a five-pillar strategy focused on joint inspections, risk-based cargo clearance, optimisation of scanning infrastructure, enforcement of service timelines, and strengthened inter-agency coordination. He stressed that the priority is no longer policy design but consistent execution.

“This workshop is about closing the distance between knowing and doing. The Service must now focus on translating established best practices into consistent operational outcomes”, he said.

Adeniyi emphasised the transition to intelligence-led cargo processing, noting that investments in digital platforms and scanning systems must translate into faster and more transparent clearance processes for traders.

To ensure implementation, the CGC disclosed that the workshop would produce a reform execution matrix to be closely monitored, while urging officers to uphold professionalism at all times.

“The reform implementation matrix will not end up in a filing cabinet. It will be actively monitored, and I will personally follow the progress reports. The professionalism, commitment, and integrity that this workshop asks of are qualities you need to acquire. I am therefore, asking you to deploy them consistently, not selectively”, he stated.

In her remarks, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, underscored the importance of adopting risk-based, data-driven inspection systems to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.

“We must move from inspecting everything to inspecting the right thing”, she said, noting that efficient and transparent border processes are critical to reducing costs and strengthening Nigeria’s trade position.

Earlier, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the Service’s evolving mandate places it at the centre of trade facilitation and economic growth, adding that operational efficiency must be reflected across all commands.

Meanwhile, the CGC and PEBEC delegation also visited the National Single Window facility, where they met with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, and other stakeholders to assess progress and address operational gaps.