Maritime
Customs To Scan 200 Containers Per Hour At Apapa Port
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) says it’s new scanner machine is capable of examining over 200 containers per hour at the Apapa Port
NCS said the scanners, which are part of the ongoing Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), are expected to speed up cargo clearance, tighten security, and reduce congestion at the port.
Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba, stated this during an inspection of the sites designated for the equipment.
He said the scanners would be strategically positioned close to the berthing area to ensure that all containers arriving at the port are subjected to high-tech, non-intrusive checks.
“No consignment will escape inspection as the scanners will be examining 200 containers per hour,” Oshoba said.
“This is a major step that will save time, increase revenue, enhance national security, promote trade and prevent port-related crimes right from the point of entry.”
Oshoba commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for driving the modernisation programme
. He explained that the installation is to be handled by the Trade Modernisation Project in partnership with APM Terminals, will last about 45 days.
“Two scanners will come from the TMP while APM Terminals will provide an additional unit, with a mobile scanner on standby to prevent downtime”.
Oshoba urged officers to get ready for intensive “train-the-trainer” sessions and capacity building for ICT staff who will handle first and second-level maintenance of the scanners, which he described as the first of their kind in West and Central Africa
Oshoba called on Port users and stakeholders to support the project to ensure its success.
“All hands must be on deck to see this dream through, saying this is the beginning of a new era in customs operations.”
The installation of the scanners is part of a wider modernisation plan aimed at automating customs processes and aligning Nigeria’s trade practices with global standards. Similar upgrades are expected to be introduced at other major ports and border locations once the Apapa pilot is completed.
The Area Controller warned importers, exporters and agents to make honest declarations, noting that the technology will expose concealments and false documentation.
Speaking at the event, TMP Team Leader at the site, Aliyu Suleiman, said the scanners are the NUCTECH FS6000 model from China.
He explained that they use high-penetration dual-energy X-ray transmission technology to inspect trucks and containers in one pass at speeds of up to 15 km/h, providing detailed images that can reveal concealed contraband and dangerous materials.
Suleiman added that the system’s modular design allows integration with other tools such as License Plate Recognition (LPR) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
The Apapa Command handles the largest volume of container traffic in Nigeria and has for years faced delays caused by manual cargo checks.
Stakeholders believe the deployment of the scanners would cut clearance times, boost revenue and make Apapa a benchmark for other ports in the country.
By: Chinedu Wosu
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The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) says poor regulation of shipping lines could undermine the credibility of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reforms.
Head of Research SEREC, Dr Eugene Nweke made this Known to Newsmen in Abuja
Nweke said that customs efficiency was linked to the performance of the Nigeria’s maritime and trade ecosystem.
Hr described the NCS as central to the success of the National Single Window (NSW) risk-based clearance and trade facilitation reforms.
“However, Customs efficiency gains are systematically eroded when upstream shipping practices introduce artificial delays, speculative charges, remote cargo release approvals and opaque cost structures”.
“In effect, weak regulation of shipping line conduct externalises inefficiencies into the Customs clearance process, inflates transaction costs, distorts compliance behavior and undermines the credibility of customs-led trade reforms,”
Nweke said that SEREC had submitted a white paper to the government advocating that shipping line governance, port economic regulation, and customs trade administration should be treated as inseparable policy domains.
SEREC said Nigeria’s Port challenges were not only infrastructure-driven but governance-related, warning that weak regulation, missing oversight reports and unchecked discretion in systems like the NSW could undermine reform efforts.
SEREC recommended reforms for Nigeria’s shipping sector, including public release of committee findings, statutory refund timelines with penalties, banning speculative demurrage billing, mandatory local cargo release and alignment of shipping practices with the NSW among others.
Nweke said that the aim of the white paper was to draw attention to sharp practices and regulatory weaknesses that had evolved beyond operational inconveniences into macroeconomic and governance risks.
“For NCS trade reforms to deliver their full impact in 2026 and beyond, shipping practices must align with the same principles guiding Customs modernisation: transparency, predictability, automation, accountability and local control.
Nweke said that by 2026, stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime industry hope to transition from opaque and arbitrary port operations to a transparent, rules-based system managed through digital technology.
He stressed that the shift should align with ongoing reforms and international best practices, facilitated by the government through providing enabling environment and enforcing regulations
“These include predictable costs, enforceable service standards, transparent billing, time-bound cargo release, and institutional accountability particularly as Nigeria advances the National Single Window (NSW), port economic regulation, and revenue optimisation objectives.
“The expectation is not the creation of new laws, but disciplined enforcement of existing instruments, public disclosure of regulatory outcomes, and insulation of regulators from political and commercial capture,” Nweke said.
By: CHINEDU WOSU
Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate take-off of the Olokola Deep Seaport project in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area
The approval brings to an end years of delay surrounding the multi billion dollar Port.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun made this Known to Journalists during an interactive session
Governor Abiodun said the Seaport would help decongest Lagos ports, while oil drilling at Tongeji Island would boost economic activities and inclusion in coastal communities.
“The Olokola deep seaport project, which has been on the drawing board for several years, has been revived following a series of meetings with the President”.
“I want to sincerely thank Mr President because this is solely his initiative. In the last two weeks alone, we have held several meetings on Olokola, and he has clearly expressed his desire to see the port become a reality,” he said.
The Governor said the seaport would be known as the Blue Marine Economic Zone, would leverage the coastal road as an alternative logistics corridor and further ease pressure on the Lagos ports.
He commended the Nigerian Navy for establishing a Forward Operations Base at Tongeji Island, saying the move would enhance security and prevent infiltration from neighbouring Benin Republic.
The Governor said that the state government was working to provide basic amenities for residents of the island to improve living conditions and support emerging economic activities.
Abiodun thanked the Navy for its contribution to security in the state, attributing the relative peace in Ogun to collaboration among security agencies.
By: CHINEDU WOSU
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno says his administration is commitment to deliver the Ibom Deep Seaport project as a critical infrastructure to boost the state’s economy and transform the region.
The Governor said this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the Interaf Group Consortium at the Government House, Uyo.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Enobong Uwah, Eno emphasized on the project’s significance.
“The project is a necessity for the people of the state as my administration is fully committed to putting the necessary requirements in place to get it on course,” Eno said.
The Governor urged the consortium to work closely with the Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP, and the government’s representatives to ensure its timely execution.
He commended the organisation for its interest in ensuring the actualisation of the project
The Governor thanked the former Petroleum Minister, Mr Don Etiebet, for being a part of the team, and for working toward the actualisation of the facility.
Earlier,Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Interaf Group Consortium, Mr Ezinwa Ibekwe commended the government for the confidence reposed in the company.
Ibekwe assured the government of the consortium’s readiness to deliver on its mandate, promising a collaborative approach to ensure the project’s success.
By: CHINEDU WOSU
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