As part of its efforts to enhance seamless operations and ease trade facilitation for traders and other stakeholders in the maritime industry, Nigeria Customs services (NCS) has formally introduced its One-Stop-Shop Initiative at Zone ‘A’, Lagos, to reduce cargo dwell time at port to 48 hours.
The One-Stop-Shop initiative, the service said, “is expected to reduce cargo dwell time to an average of 48 hours per shipment, cut demurrage costs for importers, and foster accountability in port operations.”
Speaking at the highly attended event, which was held at Apapa Area Command of the Service yesterday, the Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, described the platform as a smarter, technology-driven approach to cargo clearance that will enhance efficiency, transparency, and inter-agency collaboration.
The One-Stop-Shop initiative, the Service said, is a central platform for intelligence gathering and coordination, and also houses all documents within the NCS, ensuring a more efficient and coordinated approach to Customs operations.
Babandede explained that the platform brings all relevant Customs Units under one operational roof, allowing joint review, examination, and decision-making at a single point of contact.
The initiative, he said, “is backed by the B’Odogwu digital platform, the system enables real-time data sharing, centralised documentation, analytical reporting, and seamless trader engagement through the Customs portal.
“The OSS would eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks that often delay cargo release, ensuring that every flagged declaration is handled transparently and collaboratively,” he stated.
He also commended the Customs ICT team for their role in developing the platform, describing it as a milestone in the Service’s modernisation drive.
He, however, pointed out that the success of the new initiative would rely solely on the integrity of the implementation.
Babandede, therefore, directed Customs officers and urged the trading community to efficiently utilise the process through the Customs portal.
The event brought together the Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘A’, Babandede; Comptroller Frank Onyeka, Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port; Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Apapa Customs Area Command; Comptroller Peter Ntadi, Area Controller, Western Marine Command. And representatives of other stakeholders, like freight-forwarder associations, terminal operators, and licensed Customs agents, lauded the initiative as a welcome innovation for the trading public.
