By Funso OLOJO
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has promised to support the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council(PEBEC) to achieve fast cargo clearance process at the nation’s seaports.
This pledge was made in reaction to the Federal government desire to reduce the cargo dwell time to at most, seven days, at the Nigerian ports.
The government determination to make the ports competitive and efficient was demonstrated by PEBEC when it held a three – day high- level stakeholders engagement recently with the NPA.
The engagement session, titled “Achieving a 7- Day Cargo Dwell Time” was held at the Apapa Port complex and brought together the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee(PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator(BEEPA) framework.
The session, hosted by the NPA, was meant to streamline port processes and bolster the ease of doing business at the ports.
The stakeholders engagement followed an extensive “shadowing” exercise where officials observed real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at both the Tin can Island and Lagos Port complexes.
Speaking at the event, PEBEC Director General, Princess Zahrah Mustapha, emphasized that the session was designed to move beyond identifying hurdles toward implementing long-overdue practical solutions.
“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies,” Mustapha stated.
“These are not just numbers, they represent missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth.
” This reform is about resilience and unlocking the nation’s economic potential.”
Mustapha noted that the initiative integrates both government regulators and private sector stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability, with the ultimate goal of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Danthoso, reiterated the Authority’s commitment to supporting PEBEC’s mandates.
He highlighted the NPA’s progress include collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS) which will serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window, a move expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronize port operations.
Recall that the NPA achieved a 100% success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking 5th among agencies in 2025 with an 84.2% compliance rating.
The outcomes of this engagement are expected to be implemented within the coming months.
By closing the operational gaps identified during the port inspections, the NPA and PEBEC aim to create a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.
