The Customs trade facilitation drive under the Nigeria Customs Service has reshaped business operations in Nigeria’s South-East, with reforms targeting reduced costs and improved access to markets. Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has implemented policies that decentralise cargo clearance and remove long-standing logistics barriers. The reforms have enabled faster cargo movement and reduced reliance on distant seaports. These changes are already influencing trade patterns across key commercial hubs in the region.
The Nigeria Customs Service, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Finance, plays a central role in revenue collection, trade facilitation, and border control in Nigeria. Since assuming office in June 2023, Adeniyi has introduced reforms aligned with the Federal Government’s economic agenda. These reforms are anchored on consolidation, collaboration, and innovation, with a focus on improving Customs trade facilitation across the country.
Historically, businesses in the South-East depended heavily on ports in Lagos and Port Harcourt. This system increased logistics costs and extended delivery timelines due to long-distance haulage and multiple checkpoints.
A central component of the Customs trade facilitation strategy is the activation of the Onitsha River Port as a cargo destination. The port now allows containers to be transported by barge directly from coastal ports to Anambra State.
Customs has also enabled full port procedures at Onitsha, including cargo examination, valuation, and duty payment. This has shortened supply chains for traders and manufacturers in cities such as Aba, Nnewi, and Onitsha.
The reforms have reduced clearance time from extended road transport delays to an estimated 48 to 72 hours via inland waterways. They have also lowered demurrage costs and reduced exposure to highway security risks.
In addition, the service has expanded licensing for bonded warehouses and inland terminals across Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo states. These facilities allow goods to be stored and cleared closer to their final markets, improving compliance and reducing congestion at seaports.
According to trade expert Okey Ibeke, the reforms have “shortened supply chains for South East businesses, reduced demurrage, and lowered the risks associated with long-haul trucking.”
The expansion of Customs trade facilitation is expected to strengthen industrial activity across the South-East. Manufacturers in Nnewi now receive inputs closer to production sites, while traders in Onitsha can clear goods within their commercial environment.
The reforms also support key economic clusters, including Aba’s garment and leather industries and Onitsha’s large trading networks. Reduced logistics costs and faster turnaround times are likely to improve productivity and inventory management.
Beyond imports, the system provides new export opportunities. Agro-processors in the region can consolidate goods locally and transport them through inland waterways to coastal ports for export. However, stakeholders noted that sustained impact will depend on addressing infrastructure challenges such as dredging of the River Niger, barge capacity, and road connectivity
