The Federal Government has intensified efforts to reduce cargo clearance time at Nigerian seaports from the current average of 21 days to seven days as part of broader reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and enhancing the country’s trade competitiveness.
The Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Audu, disclosed the initiative while briefing journalists at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.
She said prolonged cargo dwell time remains one of the major challenges affecting imports and exports in Nigeria, noting that neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic and Ghana currently process cargo more efficiently.
According to Audu, a committee established under the Office of the Vice President in April 2026 is coordinating ministries, departments and agencies operating at the nation’s ports to streamline cargo clearance and reduce delays.
She explained that one of the key reforms is the introduction of joint cargo inspections, which allows all relevant government agencies to conduct coordinated examinations once a vessel arrives, thereby reducing turnaround time.
Audu added that the Federal Government is also replacing physical cargo inspections with scanner-based technology to improve efficiency and accelerate the clearance process.
She identified the National Single Window platform as another critical component of the reforms, saying it integrates documentation and regulatory processes for imports and exports into a unified digital system that enables seamless coordination among government agencies.
As part of efforts to improve port operations, Audu disclosed that PEBEC carried out monitoring visits to Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in January, March and July to ensure that previously removed illegal checkpoints had not re-emerged.
She said the council plans to sustain the inspections over the next three years, with another visit scheduled for September, to ensure the corridors remain free of illegal checkpoints.
The PEBEC Director-General also highlighted improvements in the council’s ReportGov platform, describing it as a government-wide grievance resolution mechanism that connects businesses with 69 business-facing ministries, departments and agencies.
According to her, the platform, relaunched in June 2025, now enables businesses to report operational challenges and receive responses within 72 hours. She added that ReportGov kiosks have been installed at major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, as well as at Apapa and Tin Can seaports, to improve access to government services.
Audu further revealed that the business-facing agencies have been grouped into clusters to reduce duplication and improve coordination, citing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as a step towards eliminating repeated certification processes.
She said PEBEC is also collaborating with the World Bank under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme to support states in implementing reforms in digital connectivity, land administration and tax harmonisation.
According to Audu, a $750 million World Bank facility is available under the programme to support qualifying states, provided they meet the required reform conditions and are prepared to implement the projects responsibly.
She also disclosed that small claims courts have now been established across all states to provide affordable and faster dispute resolution for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), while PEBEC continues to promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and specialised commercial courts.
Audu said the council remains committed to eliminating bottlenecks affecting businesses, expanding digital one-stop service centres and implementing initiatives such as the EnableHer project to help informal businesses transition into the formal economy.