Nigeria’s Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has intensified reforms to reduce cargo clearance times at the country’s ports from 21 days to seven days, a move aimed at improving trade efficiency, lowering logistics costs and strengthening the country’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.
PEBEC Director-General Princess Zahra Audu announced the initiative on Tuesday during the Presidential Media Team’s weekly Meet the Press briefing at the State House in Abuja.
Audu said lengthy cargo clearance procedures remain a major obstacle to trade and investment, particularly when compared with neighbouring countries such as Ghana and the Republic of Benin.
“As a resolution from the committee that was set up, we were tasked to try and bring down our cargo dwell time from 21 days to seven days,” she said.
According to Audu, the government has introduced coordinated inspections involving multiple agencies operating at the ports to accelerate cargo processing and reduce vessel turnaround times.
She said authorities have also expanded the use of scanner-based inspections, replacing many physical examinations that often delay cargo movement.
“The whole idea is to ensure that containers that arrive in Nigeria are cleared out within seven days. It’s a work in progress,” she added.
Digital Reforms and Port Coordination
Audu said PEBEC established a committee within the Office of the Vice President in April to coordinate ministries, departments and agencies operating along the ports corridor.
The committee is working to streamline import and export procedures while improving collaboration among regulatory bodies.
A key component of the reform agenda is the National Single Window, a digital platform designed to connect relevant government agencies through a unified system.
“The National Single Window is streamlining all the agencies and placing them on one mainstream software infrastructure that will enable them to coordinate seamlessly in terms of the documentation needed for the import and export of goods,” Audu said.
She noted that PEBEC conducted inspection visits to ports in January, March and July to ensure that previously removed illegal checkpoints along the Apapa and Tin Can Island corridors did not re-emerge.
The ports of Apapa and Tin Can Island in Lagos handle a substantial share of Nigeria’s maritime trade and serve as critical gateways for imports and exports across West Africa.
Measures to Improve Accountability
Audu disclosed that PEBEC plans to equip truck drivers operating around the ports with body cameras to improve accountability and gather evidence of extortion and other operational abuses.
She said the initiative would complement ongoing engagement with truckers and freight forwarders, who frequently encounter delays and administrative bottlenecks.
A broader stakeholder sensitisation programme is expected to take place later this year.
The Director-General also highlighted the expansion of the ReportGov platform, which connects businesses directly with 69 business-facing ministries, departments and agencies.
Relaunched in June 2025, the platform now functions as a government-wide grievance resolution and accountability mechanism. Businesses can submit complaints and receive responses within 72 hours.
To improve accessibility, PEBEC has deployed ReportGov kiosks at major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, as well as at the Apapa and Tin Can seaports.
Support for Businesses and State Reforms
Audu said the 69 participating agencies have been organised into clusters to improve coordination, reduce duplication and accelerate service delivery.
She cited a memorandum of understanding between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as an example of efforts to reduce multiple certification requirements and lower compliance costs for businesses.
At the state level, PEBEC has activated ease-of-doing-business councils to strengthen cooperation between federal and state authorities, promote digital public services and support one-stop business centres.
The council is also working with the World Bank under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms Programme (SABER), which provides a $750 million funding facility to support reform implementation across Nigeria’s states.
“We are still working with the states to be able to access this fund directly from the World Bank,” Audu said, noting that the programme is in its final year.
She added that the initiative supports reforms in digital connectivity, land administration and the harmonisation of taxes and levies.
Expanding Access to Business Justice
PEBEC also highlighted efforts to improve access to commercial justice for small businesses.
Audu said every Nigerian state now operates a small claims court, enabling micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to pursue eligible claims through simplified procedures.
“Every state in Nigeria now has a small claims court. This is important for MSMEs because they can pursue eligible claims without necessarily engaging a lawyer,” she said.
The council is also promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and specialised commercial courts to reduce the time required to settle business disputes.
The reforms form part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to improve the business environment, attract investment and enhance trade competitiveness as Africa’s largest economy seeks to strengthen its position in regional and global supply chains.
