Nigeria Targets One-Day Cargo Clearance as Stakeholders Push for Smart, Green Ports
Nigeria Targets One-Day Cargo Clearance as Stakeholders Push for Smart, Green Ports
Titilayo Adeleke
Nigeria is set to crash its cargo clearance lead time to one day through the National Single Window platform, as stakeholders in the maritime industry push for smart gateways, green logistics and intelligent traffic management to make the nation’s ports globally competitive.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Igwe Onyekachi, who assumed office in November 2024, said the Council now has legitimate powers to enforce compliance in the industry, noting that although CRFFN has always had powers to regulate, it could not bite, but that narrative has now changed just like the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) which now has enforcement powers.
He disclosed that close to 1,000 corporate bodies have so far applied for licensing out of over 40,000 persons rendering logistics services across the country, explaining that licensing will help identify genuine practitioners, their locations and qualifications.
Igwe decried the influx of foreigners into freight forwarding jobs ordinarily reserved for Nigerians, saying a lot of foreigners have invaded the industry because there has been no enforcement, and warned that anyone found operating without a license when enforcement commences next month, will be punished.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy created by President Bola Tinubu for its transformation drive towards achieving the one trillion dollars economy target, particularly in fishery and aquaculture.
The Director of the National Single Window, Dr. Odunayo Ani, said the platform was designed to allow an importer to make one single submission on one portal where Customs and any other agencies that need information about the cargo can take and consume it, thereby ensuring traceability and transparency, and to reduce the clearance lead time for cargo.
According to Ani, what the project hopes to achieve is to bring down the lead time on the Single Window System to one day and make it achievable, which will bring Nigeria back to compete openly.
Mr. Jide Osoz, who also spoke on smart gateway and green logistics, said, “Our ports must look more committed,” noting that achieving it requires both construction and scanning.
On her part, Mrs Adaora said for maximum indicators, Nigeria does not need bigger ports but smarter, faster, more transparent and environmentally friendly ports, adding that it reduces friction.
She noted that port congestion is a key issue and that the terminal must be equipped with smart equipment, while calling for establishing clearer institutional boundaries, stronger oversight functions by relevant government agencies, full automation and empowerment of indigenous operators.
The forum, which noted that the port concession concept started on March 27, 2006 as a platform, stressed that it is not about having volume but how efficient is the port, adding that Nigeria must begin positioning a new port system for transformation through improved cargo evacuation and revamping port structure with intelligent traffic management.
Stakeholders outlined five actions to translate the theme into results, which are integrated system, measured performance, improved cargo evacuation, advancing green investment and strengthening economic regulation, stressing that progress should be assessed against clear baseline and published indicators.
