Nigeria took a major step to simplify cargo clearance and reduce port congestion on Wednesday with the launch of the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform by the Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos.
The platform introduces a unified system designed to fast-track clearance processes, streamline risk management interventions, and enhance the resolution of trade disputes at the nation’s ports.
The stakeholder engagement on Friday at Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja brought together regulators, manufacturers, customs agents, freight forwarders, and industry operators, who welcomed the initiative as a long-awaited reform capable of transforming Nigeria’s trade environment and improving ease of doing business at ports and borders.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Kemen Niagwan, said the OSS platform fulfils international obligations requiring governments to consult stakeholders before implementing major trade measures.
She explained that discussions on a unified intervention platform began as far back as 2018 but were delayed due to coordination gaps among agencies and stakeholders.
According to her, the new platform centralises risk interventions under a single digital interface, removing multiple checkpoints that previously slowed cargo clearance and increased business costs.
“Multiple checks and fragmented interventions have impacted business processes for years. The One-Stop-Shop now brings all relevant units under one coordinated system to ensure faster and more predictable clearance,” she stated.
She urged customs officers and stakeholders to support the system, highlighting that its success depends on operational discipline and cooperation.
Similarly, Mr. Segun Osidipe, speaking on behalf of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), described the initiative as a strategic step toward eliminating port bottlenecks and strengthening inter-agency coordination.
He said manufacturers view the OSS platform as vital to reducing production costs, improving cargo turnaround time, and boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.
The President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Customs Consultative Council (CCC), whose representatives emphasised that collaboration is key to achieving seamless trade facilitation nationwide.
Superintendent of Customs Francis Edejor, a member of the OSS implementation team, presented examples of countries such as New Zealand and Singapore, which successfully deployed similar unified clearance systems to reduce delays and improve regulatory coordination.
He noted that Nigeria’s initiative aligns with global trade facilitation standards promoted by the World Trade Organization, which estimates that efficient border processes can substantially lower trade costs in developing economies.
In his keynote on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, DCG Enforcement and Investigation Timi Bomodi conveyed the reform message of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, describing the initiative as a deliberate move from fragmented procedures to coordinated governance.