The Nigeria Customs Service has unveiled a new overtime e-clearance system to reduce congestion at ports and accelerate trade facilitation.
Announced through the Service’s official X account on Wednesday, the automated platform is designed to handle long-standing cargo more efficiently, cutting delays and limiting manual interference.
Speaking at a sensitisation programme in Lagos, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, explained that the system allows consignees to submit and track clearance applications remotely. He said the initiative will reduce costs and shorten processing times for cargo owners.
“We are more interested in removing these cargoes from our ports rather than managing them as overtime. 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 system, citing a 15-year-old cargo case under investigation as an example of loopholes the agency intends to close. He also warned that deliberate abandonment of goods to evade duties would attract stricter sanctions, with intelligence units deployed to monitor compliance.
Senior officials, including Assistant Comptroller-General Mohamed Babandede, described the platform as a step toward transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Terminal operators and shipping firms present pledged cooperation, stressing that the initiative would reduce congestion and improve turnaround times.
The development follows a recent extension of the clearance window for overtime cargoes to 120 days, up from 30 days for airports and 90 days for seaports. After this period, unclaimed goods may be disposed of, while perishable and inflammable cargo can be auctioned immediately.
By combining automation with the extended clearance window, Customs aims to reduce abandoned consignments, improve transparency, and strengthen efficiency in Nigeria’s trade logistics.
