The Nigeria Customs Service has launched an automated overtime e-clearance system to ease port congestion.
Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi said the platform lets consignees file and track clearance online, cutting delays and manual interference.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled a new automated overtime e-clearance system designed to reduce congestion at the country’s ports and improve trade facilitation.
The innovation, announced on the Service’s official X handle on Wednesday, aims to process long-standing overtime cargoes more efficiently, cutting delays, manual interference, and opportunities for corruption.
Speaking at a sensitization exercise in Lagos, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the platform enables consignees to submit and track clearance applications remotely, thereby reducing the need for repeated visits to customs offices.
“We are more interested in removing these cargoes from our ports rather than managing them over time. Everything we have tried to do is to ensure that our processes are more efficient, so that the cost and time it takes to clear these cargoes from the ports will be reduced,” Adeniyi stated.
He cautioned against abuse of the new system, citing a 15-year-old overtime cargo case still under investigation as an example of loopholes the Service intends to close.
Adeniyi warned that deliberate abandonment of cargo to evade duties will attract tougher sanctions, with customs intelligence units monitoring misuse.
The Comptroller-General directed the Zone A Coordinator to hold further engagement sessions with terminal operators and shipping companies to ensure smooth adoption.
Senior officials, including ACJ Mohamed Babandede, described the initiative as a step toward transparency, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Terminal operators and shipping lines pledged cooperation, noting that the platform would improve cargo turnaround times and deliver measurable reductions in congestion.
Over time, cargoes that remain uncleared beyond the stipulated timelines often clog terminals and increase storage costs.
The clearance window has recently been extended to 120 days (from 30 days at airports and 90 days at seaports).
After the deadline, unclaimed goods are disposed of, while perishable and inflammable items may be auctioned immediately.
