Customs Unveils E-Clearance Platform to Decongest Apapa Port
Customs Unveils E-Clearance Platform to Decongest Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new automated platform, the Overtime E-Clearance System, designed to streamline cargo management and ease long-standing congestion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The platform, unveiled on Monday by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, during a sensitisation exercise in Lagos, is expected to resolve a backlog of overtime cargo abandoned at the port for more than 15 years.
In a statement released via its official X handle on Tuesday, the Service explained that the initiative will not only enhance efficiency in cargo clearance but also curb corruption and revenue leakages within the system.
“The Overtime E-Clearance System represents a turning point in the management of overtime cargoes. It provides transparency, reduces human contact, and allows for the faster disposal of abandoned goods, thereby freeing up much-needed space at the port,” the statement read.
According to Adeniyi, the innovation was borne out of the need to address perennial bottlenecks at Nigeria’s busiest seaport, where thousands of containers have overstayed due to bureaucratic delays, litigations, and irregular clearance processes.
The Customs boss noted that the backlog of abandoned cargo has contributed significantly to congestion at Apapa, stifling trade and adding to the cost of doing business. He stressed that the new system would enable the government to generate more revenue from overtime cargo while boosting Nigeria’s ease of doing business ranking.
Stakeholders at the sensitisation programme, including freight forwarders and clearing agents, welcomed the platform as a long-overdue reform. They urged the Customs Service to ensure full implementation and synergy with other port agencies to achieve seamless operations.
The NCS maintained that the Overtime E-Clearance System aligns with global best practices in trade facilitation and would be gradually extended to other ports across the country.
