Nigerian Ports Authority and Partners Launch Drive for 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in partnership with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC), has concluded a significant three-day stakeholder engagement in Lagos. This high-level meeting was specifically designed to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in Nigeria's maritime sector: excessive cargo dwell time at the nation's ports.
Focused Engagement Under BEEPA Programme
The engagement, held under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA), was themed "Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time." It took place at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) in Apapa, bringing together key regulators and private sector stakeholders. This initiative follows an extensive "shadowing" exercise where officials monitored real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at both the Tin Can Island Port and Lagos Port Complexes to identify critical operational gaps.
Moving Beyond Diagnosis to Implementation
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha, emphasized that the engagement was designed to move beyond merely diagnosing challenges to implementing long-overdue practical solutions. "Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies," she stated. "These are not just numbers; they represent missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth. This reform is about resilience and unlocking the nation's economic potential."
Mustapha added that the reform agenda focuses on:
- Strengthening resilience in port operations
- Unlocking Nigeria's economic potential through improved trade facilitation
- Promoting transparency and accountability among all stakeholders
- Reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround
NPA's Commitment and Digital Transformation
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, reaffirmed the Authority's commitment to supporting PEBEC's reform mandates. He disclosed that the NPA is collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy a Port Community System (PCS). This system will serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window and is expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks while harmonizing port operations across Nigeria's maritime infrastructure.
Strong Compliance Record and Future Implementation
The NPA highlighted its strong performance in implementing PEBEC reforms, noting a 100% success rate in 2025 with an 84.2% compliance score, ranking fifth among government agencies. The Authority emphasized that outcomes from this stakeholder engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months. Closing the identified operational gaps is anticipated to:
- Enhance port competitiveness in the region
- Attract increased private investment
- Facilitate seamless trade operations
- Support Nigeria's position under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Dantsoho further reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to modernizing Nigeria's ports and attracting increased private investment, noting that modern, resilient ports and integrated logistics systems are critical to unlocking Africa's trade potential.
