The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in partnership with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has launched a coordinated push to achieve a 7-day cargo dwell time at Nigerian ports, as part of broader reforms to cut delays, improve vessel turnaround and strengthen the nation’s ease of doing business.
Titled “Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time”, the session brought together the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA) framework. Hosted by the NPA, the engagement focused on streamlining port processes to reduce delays, improve vessel turnaround time and strengthen Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
The programme, held at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa, followed an extensive “shadowing” exercise in which officials observed real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at both Tin Can Island and Lagos port complexes to identify operational gaps.
Speaking at the event, PEBEC Director General, Zahrah Mustapha, said the engagement was designed to move beyond problem identification to implementing practical, long-overdue solutions.
“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies. 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”, he said.
She explained that the initiative integrates government regulators and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability, with the ultimate goal of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.
Earlier, Managing Director of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to delivering PEBEC’s reform mandates.
He noted that NPA is collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS) as the digital backbone for the National Single Window, a move expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronise port operations.
Dantsoho recalled that the NPA recorded a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance score.
Outcomes from the engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months.
By closing operational gaps identified during port inspections, NPA and PEBEC aim to build a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.