By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has unveiled a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s trade competitiveness through better-performing ports.
The initiative was launched at the opening of a three-day operational workshop in Apapa on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, themed “Customs Leadership in Port Efficiency, Inspection Reform and Clearance Timeline.”
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,” Adeniyi said. He emphasised the shift to intelligence-led cargo processing, highlighting that investments in digital platforms and scanning systems must result in faster and more transparent clearance processes for traders.
To ensure the reforms are implemented, Adeniyi disclosed that the workshop would produce a reform execution matrix to be closely monitored. He urged officers to uphold professionalism, commitment, and integrity 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, PEBEC Director-General Zahrah Mustapha-Audu stressed the need for risk-based, data-driven inspection systems to improve efficiency and lower 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 strengthening Nigeria’s trade position.
Earlier, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, highlighted that the evolving mandate of the NCS places it at the centre of trade facilitation and economic growth, and stressed that operational efficiency must be reflected across all commands.
As part of the workshop, the CGC and PEBEC delegation also visited the National Single Window facility, meeting with Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, and other stakeholders to review progress and address operational gaps, underscoring the collaborative effort to modernise port operations and enhance trade efficiency.
