Cargo Dwell Time: NPA, PEBEC Target 7-Days At Nigerian Ports

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), recently concluded a three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos.

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The engagement which is titled, “Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time,” the session, which brought together the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA) framework which was hosted by the NPA was geared towards streamlining port processes to bolster the Ease of Doing Business in Nigerian Ports.

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‎The engagement, which was held at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) in Apapa, followed an extensive on the spot exercise where officials were conducted round the ports and terminals to observed real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at both the TinCan Island and Lagos Port complexes.

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‎The Director General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha while speaking at the event, emphasized that the session was designed to move beyond identifying hurdles toward implementing long-overdue practical solutions.

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‎“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" Midtapha stated.

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‎She noted that the initiative will integrate both government regulators and private sector stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability with the ultimate goal of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.

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Earlier, in his address, the Managing Director of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho reiterated the Authority’s commitment to supporting PEBEC’s mandates.

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‎He highlighted NPA’s progress to include collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS) which will serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window which is expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronize port operations.

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‎It is expected that the outcomes of the engagement would be implemented within the coming months. NPA and PEBEC aims to create a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.

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