The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has announced the extension of the overtime cargo clearance window to 120 days, alongside the full automation of the clearance process—a move aimed at enhancing trade facilitation and reducing delays at Nigeria’s ports.
Speaking at a one-day sensitisation programme for stakeholders in Zone ‘A’, Lagos, on Monday, Adeniyi said the initiative will simplify clearance procedures, particularly for cargoes previously abandoned or delayed beyond standard timelines.
Stakeholders at the event included consignees, freight forwarders, terminal operators, and customs officials.
Adeniyi explained that nearly half of all official correspondence to his office concerns requests for clearance extensions on overtime cargo. The automated platform, he noted, would significantly reduce such bottlenecks.
