Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is set to sign an Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection of cargo at Nigerian ports, a measure designed to enhance inter-agency collaboration and accelerate cargo clearance.
Shettima said the forthcoming directive would end years of fragmented operations among port agencies and mark a decisive step towards a more efficient, transparent and competitive port system.
Speaking at the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Vice President said the Federal Government is determined to fully implement the National Single Window policy by 2026.
The initiative, he explained, will harmonise port documentation, reduce human contact and slash cargo clearance time from the current average of 21 days to under seven.
“By the end of 2026, we aim to reduce cargo clearance time to less than seven days and position our ports among Africa’s top three most efficient trade gateways,” Shettima declared.
He described the National Single Window, expected to take off in the first quarter of 2026, as a game changer that will usher in a new era of transparency and seamless cargo processing across all agencies operating within the ports.
The Vice President directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant stakeholders to submit a comprehensive roadmap for an effective weights and measures framework to protect consumers and ensure fairness in trade.
Decrying the high cost and long dwell time of cargo at Nigerian ports, Shettima noted that clearing a container in Nigeria currently takes between 18 and 21 days, compared with five to seven days in Ghana and just four in Cotonou.
“The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is about 30 per cent higher than in many of our regional peers. These inefficiencies cost us investments, drive up prices, and weaken our export competitiveness,” he said.
Shettima expressed optimism that the Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, once signed by the President, would transform port operations, reduce duplication of efforts and foster synergy among port agencies.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zahrah Audu, warned that inefficient port operations were adversely affecting Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business ranking and urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to reverse the trend.
The Managing Director of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that collaboration, technology adoption and ongoing infrastructure upgrades remain central to modernising Nigeria’s ports and unlocking their full potential.