Trade facilitation: NSC tinkers cut in 21-day dwell time at ports

• Trains maritime police to curb clearance bottlenecks

By Grace Edet

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has intensified efforts to tackle the country’s prolonged cargo clearance delays—currently averaging 21 days, and considered one of the longest globally, by strengthening collaboration with the Maritime Police Command through a new capacity-building programme.
The workshop with the theme: “Facilitating Port Efficiency: The Strategic Role of the Maritime Police”, held yesterday, in Lagos.
Declaring the training open on behalf of the Council’s Executive Secretary/CEO Pius Akutah, the Director, Regulatory Services Department, Margaret Ogbonnah, said the event marks “a high-point” in the port regulator’s long-standing partnership with the Nigeria Police, especially as the Federal Government pushes for more efficient port operations under the blue economy reform agenda.
In his remarks, the ES noted that the country continues to lag behind regional and global peers in cargo clearance speed.
“While it takes only 6 hours to clear a containerised cargo in Singapore and seven days in Lomé, it takes an average of 21 days or more in Nigerian ports. This has contributed to Nigeria’s low global perception index on Ease of Doing Business,” he said.
He explained that despite several government interventions, reductions in dwell time have been hindered by a combination of operational gaps and human-factor-related delays.
Akutah said the Council has received reports from port stakeholders about various forms of interference affecting cargo movement, including detention orders placed on cargo already cleared through due process, operational disruptions linked to multi-layered enforcement activities, and accidents involving personnel of shipping companies and terminals
He emphasised that such actions—whether arising from misunderstandings or procedural oversights, tend to extend dwell time and increase demurrage and storage charges for businesses.
“Investigations often showed that some actions were carried out without the knowledge of the appropriate authorities within the Maritime Police Command,” he said.
This, he added, prompted both institutions to engage the Inspector General of Police in 2018, resulting in a directive that only letters signed by the AIG or duly designated officers should be acted upon, thereby streamlining enforcement communication at the ports.
“Together, we have achieved quite a lot, but we cannot rest on past achievements. Our focus must be firmly on attaining international best practices,” Akutah said.
Represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration, Ports Authority Police, Western Command, ACP Olufikayo Fawole, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Maritime Command), AIG Chinedu Oko, commended the NSC for sustaining a collaborative platform that supports law enforcement efficiency within the maritime environment.
“Modern port security goes far beyond traditional policing. The efficiency of our ports depends significantly on how effectively law enforcement interfaces with operators, regulators, freight forwarders, shipping lines, and the wider supply chain,” he said.
He stressed that the Maritime Police play a critical role in securing maritime assets, deterring cargo-related crimes, preventing pilferage, and ensuring that legitimate trade flows without avoidable friction.
“Your professionalism and integrity directly influence the confidence of shippers, investors, and the international maritime community,” he told participating officers.
Delivering the technical paper on behalf of the AIG, DCP Chukwuemeka Obasi said the efficiency of the country’s ports is inseparable from the security framework supporting them.
He outlined three key reform pillars guiding police operations toward improved port efficiency. The first focused on operational streamlining by harmonising enforcement roles with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service, NIMASA and other agencies to eliminate duplication.
The second emphasised technology integration, particularly the deployment of digital surveillance systems, cargo-monitoring platforms and intelligence tools under initiatives such as the Deep Blue Project. The third pillar centred on strengthening stakeholder collaboration by enhancing joint task forces and port security committees to ensure more coordinated maritime security responses.
However, he noted persistent challenges including overlapping mandates among agencies, limited patrol and surveillance logistics, legal bottlenecks in prosecuting maritime offences, and ethical concerns that can undermine efficiency.
To address these, he recommended joint security frameworks, expanded specialised training, smart surveillance, legal reforms, and stronger accountability systems, insisting that policing must support, not obstruct, trade facilitation.
In closing, the NSC boss reaffirmed that port efficiency cannot be achieved by one institution alone.
“Our mandate as Port Economic Regulator is to ensure efficiency, but it requires synergy with the Maritime Police and all stakeholders. This training is part of our commitment to educating officers and promoting global standards in port operations,” he said.
He commended officers of the Council and the Maritime Police Command for their role in organising the programme and urged participants to apply lessons learned to their daily operational decisions.
With Nigeria still grappling with a 21-day average cargo dwell time, the NSC says eliminating procedural bottlenecks, improving security coordination, and strengthening professionalism within port corridors remain central to restoring competitiveness. The Council and the Maritime Police believe that enhanced capacity, technology-driven enforcement and regulatory collaboration will be key to improving trade facilitation and supporting the country’s blue economy ambitions.