Cargo Dwell Time: NPA hosts PEBEC

By Joy Enamuna 

 

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority, has concluded a three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos aimed at reducing cargo dwell time to seven days.

The session, held at the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa, brought together the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator framework to streamline port processes and improve the ease of doing business.

The engagement followed an extensive “shadowing” exercise where officials observed real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at both Tincan Island and Lagos Port complexes.

Speaking at the event, PEBEC Director-General Zahrah Mustapha emphasised that the session was designed to move beyond identifying challenges toward implementing practical 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,” Ms Mustapha said.

She noted that the initiative integrates 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.

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

He highlighted the NPA’s progress, including collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation to deploy the Port Community System, which will serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window—a move expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronise port operations.

The NPA achieved a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance rating.

The outcomes of the engagement are expected to be implemented within the coming months.

By closing operational gaps identified during the port inspections, NPA and PEBEC aim to create a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.