The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, 15 September 2025, unveiled an automated platform for handling overtime cargoes at Apapa Port. The initiative is designed to ease congestion, reduce opportunities for corruption, and accelerate the cargo release process.
Launching the “Overtime E-Clearance System” at a sensitisation session in Lagos, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi said the platform allows consignees to file and track applications remotely. By limiting in-person visits and manual touchpoints, the service aims to streamline procedures and improve accountability.
Adeniyi noted that the system builds on the policy that extended cargo dwell time from 30 to 120 days, giving stakeholders more room to comply. He stressed that the priorities are transparency, integrity, and legal compliance, and encouraged users to test the platform and share feedback before full rollout.
He also cautioned against attempts to game the process, referencing a 15-year-old overtime cargo matter still under investigation as evidence of why loopholes must be closed. Deliberate cargo abandonment to evade duties, he warned, will attract stiffer penalties, with intelligence units watching for misuse.
According to the rollout plan, Customs will host additional sensitisation sessions this week with terminal operators, shipping companies, and other industry players, followed by broader engagement across commands. Deployment will proceed after feedback is reviewed and outstanding legal questions are resolved.
Zonal Coordinator for Zone A, ACG Mohammed Babandede, hailed the effort as a milestone for efficiency and transparency, aligning with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation and ease-of-doing-business goals.
Terminal operators and shipping lines pledged cooperation to ensure the system delivers measurable reductions in congestion and faster turnaround times.