By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has launched a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at improving operational efficiency and enhancing Nigeria’s trade competitiveness through more efficient port operations.
The initiative was unveiled during the opening of a three-day operational workshop held in Apapa on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The workshop, themed “Customs Leadership in Port Efficiency, Inspection Reform and Clearance Timeline,” brought together key stakeholders in the trade and logistics sector.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, outlined a five-pillar strategy designed to transform port operations. The strategy focuses on joint inspections, risk-based cargo clearance, optimisation of scanning infrastructure, enforcement of service timelines, and strengthened inter-agency coordination.
He stressed that the Service’s priority has shifted from policy formulation to effective implementation.
“This workshop is about closing the distance between knowing and doing. The Service must now focus on translating established best practices into consistent operational outcomes,” Adeniyi said.
The CGC also highlighted the Service’s transition to intelligence-led cargo processing, noting that investments in digital platforms and scanning systems must translate into faster and more transparent clearance processes for traders.
To ensure the reforms are effectively implemented, Adeniyi disclosed that the workshop would produce a reform execution matrix that would be actively monitored. He also urged officers to maintain professionalism, commitment, and integrity in carrying out their duties.
“The reform implementation matrix will not end up in a filing cabinet.
It will be actively monitored, and I will personally follow the progress reports. The professionalism, commitment, and integrity that this workshop demands are qualities you must demonstrate consistently, not selectively,” he added.
In her remarks, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, underscored the importance of adopting risk-based, data-driven inspection systems to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.
“We must move from inspecting everything to inspecting the right thing,” she said, noting that efficient and transparent border processes are critical to lowering trade costs and strengthening Nigeria’s global trade position.
Earlier, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, stated that the Service’s evolving mandate places it at the centre of trade facilitation and economic growth, adding that operational efficiency must be reflected across all commands.
Meanwhile, the CGC and PEBEC delegation also visited the National Single Window facility, where they met with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, and other stakeholders to assess ongoing progress and address operational
