Omatseye, Okorefe Call For Smarter, Greener Ports As FG Pushes 24-Hour Cargo Clearance

By Stella Okocha 

Stakeholders in the maritime industry have called for smarter, greener and better coordinated Nigerian ports as the Federal Government pushes to cut cargo clearance time from two to three weeks to 24 hours.

The call was made at the 5th Primetime Reporters Annual Lecture and Awards held on Thursday at Rockview Hotels, GRA, Apapa, Lagos, themed: “Smarter Gateways, Greener Logistics: Leveraging Port Community System and National Single Window for Seamless Trade Flows.”

The National Coordinator of the National Single Window Secretariat, Mr. Tola Fakolade, who was represented by Deputy Director, Mr. Jude Oboh, said the government has set a one-day target for cargo clearance for both imports and exports.

He said the prolonged dwell time has been a major driver of high cost of doing business and cargo diversion to neighbouring West African ports.

Fakolade said the Single Window is a centralized digital platform that allows traders to submit documents once, for all agencies to access, thereby improving transparency, strengthening risk management and reducing cost.

He described as excessive Nigeria’s practice of subjecting about 95% of cargo to physical examination, adding that the goal is to reduce it to below 10% in line with global best practice.

The high examination rate, he said, is due to absence of centralized risk management and overlapping mandates of agencies operating in silos.

According to him, the platform has in six months issued over 156,000 licences and permits, eliminating physical visits to agencies. More than 12,000 importers and agents have registered, while five MDAs are already onboard.

He said phase one, focusing on non-oil imports with integration of pre-shipment documentation and shipping manifests, has commenced, while phase two on exports will start by the end of Q4 2026. The third phase will cover oil and gas and trade visualisation.

Delivering the keynote, former lecturer at Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko and CEO of Kamany Marine Services, Dr. Charles Okorefe, said Nigeria has a long way to go in smart and green port development.

Okorefe said smart ports deploy AI, IoT, big data, blockchain and automation to accelerate handling, cut energy use and reduce delays, citing Rotterdam and Singapore as benchmarks Nigeria is yet to attain.

He urged Nigeria to adopt cleaner energy, including converting agricultural resources like sugarcane to biofuels, and warned that overlapping mandates and institutional rivalry remain major obstacles to the Single Window and Port Community System.

“Agencies must harmonise responsibilities and stop operating in silos if digital platforms must work,” he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the occasion and former DG of NIMASA, Barr. Temisan Omatseye, called for stronger environmental protection, regulatory coordination and deliberate investment in smart infrastructure.

Omatseye expressed concern over pollution incidents, citing the situation at OML 18 and oil spill at Odidi, which he said destroys aquatic ecosystems and fishing livelihoods in host communities.

He criticised poor coordination among regulators, particularly in offshore petroleum operations, and urged agencies to understand the legal foundations of their mandates and align actions with international conventions domesticated by Nigeria.

He charged journalists to interrogate regulatory decisions and hold institutions accountable.

On port modernisation, Omatseye advocated ports that can receive larger vessels, offer shore power to reduce emissions, and plan cargo evacuation from inception, citing evacuation challenges at Lekki Deep Sea Port as a lesson for proposed deep seaports like Ibom, Bakassi, Agge, Gateway, Ondo and Bonny.

“Port development must integrate road, rail and other evacuation infrastructure from the outset to avoid repeating Apapa congestion,” he said.

The event was attended by the MD of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho represented by Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Mr. Adebowale Lawal; DG of NPERA, Barr. Pius Akutah is represented by Director, Regulatory Services, Adaora Nwonu; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy and GM, LASWA, Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel; and Registrar, CRFFN, Mr. Kingsley Onyekachi Igwe, among others.