Customs launches digital one-stop platform to reduce cargo clearance to 48 hours

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a digital One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform aimed at eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks at the nation’s ports and reducing cargo clearance time to 48 hours.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos on Friday, February 13, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the initiative as a major structural reform intended to modernise border operations and improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Adeniyi said the platform aligns with the Federal Government’s business reform agenda under President Bola Tinubu, as well as global standards under the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which estimates that efficient border reforms can reduce trade costs in developing economies by more than 14 per cent.
He also disclosed that the Service is moving toward a fully paperless customs environment, with the first phase of digital clearance and documentation processes expected to roll out by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
According to him, the platform represents a shift from fragmented processes to coordinated governance driven by data and collective responsibility, while supporting lawful trade and protecting national interests.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the OSS platform would consolidate all risk interventions at the port into a single electronic interface, reducing multiple checks that often slow business processes.
A technical presentation by the Service’s Trade Facilitation Unit outlined strategies to cut clearance time from an average of 21 days to about 48 hours, alongside implementation plans and expected challenges.
Stakeholders at the event expressed support for the initiative, noting that the platform would enhance legitimate trade, while an interactive session provided clarifications on operational procedures ahead of the rollout.