At Apapa Port in Lagos, containers pile up like a towering wall. Some of them have sat there for years, abandoned after disputes, unpaid duties, or sheer neglect. Each idle box eats into space, slows down new shipments, and drives up costs for traders already wrestling with Nigeria’s tough business environment.
This week, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced what it hopes is a turning point: an automated overtime e-clearance system. The digital platform, unveiled in Lagos by Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi, is designed to fast-track the clearance of long-abandoned cargo, reduce congestion, and limit human interference. This kind often opens the door to bribery or favouritism.
“Everything we’ve done is aimed at making our processes more efficient,” Adeniyi said at the sensitisation exercise. “We want cargo owners to spend less time, less money, and fewer trips getting their goods out. If we had a choice, there would be no overtime cargo at all.”
A Chronic Problem
Overtime cargo refers to goods left uncleared beyond the official timelines: 30 days for airports, 90 days for seaports, and now extended to 120 days under the new rules. Beyond that window, goods are seized, auctioned, or, in the case of perishables, disposed of quickly.
For years, these abandoned containers have been a significant problem. They occupy valuable terminal space, increase storage fees for genuine cargo owners, and slow down Nigeria’s already cumbersome import/export system. Businesses pay more, goods move more slowly, and trade confidence weakens.
Customs used to rely on physical auctions to sell cargo. However, these auctions often faced complaints about unfair deals and a lack of transparency. In 2024, the Service rolled out an upgraded e-auction portal, but the problem of clogged ports persisted.
Why This Digital Shift Matters
The new e-clearance platform, officials say, will let consignees apply and track clearance remotely, removing the need for repeated visits to customs offices. That means fewer delays, fewer “informal charges,” and a clearer audit trail.
By automating one of the most problematic parts of the system, Customs is aiming for more than efficiency. It is trying to rewire trust. As Adeniyi cautioned, there are still loopholes: some cargo is deliberately abandoned by traders trying to evade duties, and intelligence units will now monitor such practices more closely.
Terminal operators and shipping companies have pledged support. “This could be a game-changer for turnaround times,” one operator at the event said. “It’s the first time we’ve seen Customs push a digital-first approach this seriously.”
The Bigger Picture
Nigeria’s ports have long been a significant bottleneck in its economy, a reality starkly quantified by the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index (LPI). Ranking 88th out of 139 countries with an overall score of 2.60, Nigeria lags considerably behind regional peers like South Africa (47th) and Kenya (63rd). The data reveals critical weaknesses in customs efficiency, infrastructure, and timeliness, explaining why clearing goods in Lagos can take weeks longer than in ports such as Tema, Accra, or Durban.
These logistical delays carry a heavy economic price. With every delay costing importers money, the inefficiency directly drives up prices for consumers, compounding the pressure on households and businesses already squeezed by high inflation. The stakes are immense: improving port performance is crucial for strengthening trade competitiveness, lowering the cost of goods, and ultimately, boosting investor confidence in the Nigerian economy.
In response, the push for automation and e-clearance has become more than a matter of convenience. It is an economic necessity. However, implementation will be the ultimate test. A “pretest” of the system earlier this year reportedly left many traders frustrated and fueled public skepticism.
This sentiment is captured in online discussions, where one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “You couldn’t even conduct a smooth pretest… Please, make we hear word.” Yet, others remain hopeful, with one comment reading, “We are getting there gradually. Service with integrity ❤️💯,” illustrating the mix of doubt and optimism surrounding these much-needed reforms.
A Step, Not the Finish Line
The e-clearance system is not a magic wand. Congestion is tied to wider issues: bad port access roads, overlapping regulatory checks, and a reliance on manual paperwork across other government agencies. But for Customs, this is a chance to show that technology can reduce not just delays but also opportunities for corruption.
As Segun Ogunsanya of Airtel once said about digital transformation in another context: the real question is legacy. For Adeniyi and the Customs Service, the legacy may be this: whether Nigeria’s ports can finally move from bottleneck to backbone in the country’s trade story.
