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 ceremony in Lagos on Friday, February 13, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the initiative as a major structural reform designed to modernise border operations and boost Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Adeniyi said the platform aligns with the economic reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and global best practices under the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which estimates that efficient border reforms can reduce trade costs in developing countries by more than 14 percent.
He added that the Service is moving towards a fully paperless customs environment, with the first phase of digital clearance and documentation processes scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
According to him, the platform represents a shift from fragmented interventions to coordinated governance, leveraging data-driven processes to support lawful trade and safeguard national interests.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the OSS platform consolidates all risk interventions into a single electronic interface, streamlining multiple checks under one digital system.
A technical presentation by the Service’s Trade Facilitation Unit outlined strategies to cut average cargo clearance time from 21 days to about 48 hours, alongside implementation plans and anticipated challenges.
Stakeholders at the event expressed support for the initiative, noting that it would enhance efficiency and facilitate legitimate trade. An interactive session also provided clarifications on operational procedures and expectations ahead of the platform’s rollout.
