“Units that once operated independently now function as integrated teams”-CGC

The launch by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, of a one stop shop cargo clearing platform aimed at  reducing clearance time from 21 days to about 48 hours is indeed a very bold initiative which, if realized, could transform the Nigerian economy colossally.

The stark reality is:  Is this envisaged feat possible without regular network connectivity and other operational bottle necks affecting other government agencies which work closely with the NCS?

Is the NCS able to work independent of other agencies which have several inadequacies and operational constraints?

How is the transition journey from 21 days to 48hours likely to be implemented?

Is there likely to be a change of officers across Commands or is it the same officers of the Service that will effect the change/transition?

According to the  Comptroller General of the Service, CGC Wale Adeniyi, one major objective of the One Stop Shop is to  give importers and clearing agents value for their money.

His words    “The One-Stop-Shop initiative is firmly anchored in Nigeria’s broader business environment reforms under Executive Order 001 and the Business Facilitation Act, which emphasize transparency, service timelines, digitization, and inter-agency coordination. Recent assessments by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council have acknowledged measurable progress while also highlighting persistent bureaucratic bottlenecks and weak consequence management”

The present management team of the NCS consist of top brains of the Service with tremendous experiences. Based on the seriousness of the OSS and commitment to it by the the CGC and his team, i reproduce text of the CGC speech at the launch of the One Stop Shop, OSS,  in Lagos on Friday, 13 February 2026:

“Within this reform framework, the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to reposition its systems to support national competitiveness, with improved rankings in efficiency and transparency reflecting these efforts, even as they remind us that institutional reform must remain continuous, practical and results driven”

Over time, risk intervention at the declaration processing stage evolved into a fragmented structure in which valuation, enforcement, intelligence, compliance, and processing units operated largely in isolation, with limited coordination and unclear accountability”

This  arrangement produced multiple checkpoints, sequential reviews, and repeated documentation requests, creating avoidable delays and administrative burden for traders. Operational assessments and internal reviews have shown that these inefficiencies were driven more by systemic gaps than by inspection performance, while OSS implementation studies further indicate that frequent post-release interventions, sometimes outside port environments, added to uncertainty and compliance costs”

These cumulative challenges underscored the need for a comprehensive structural solution rather than piecemeal adjustments.

The One-Stop-Shop is designed as a unified operational framework that centralizes all risk interventions within a coordinated digital and physical environment, replacing fragmented processes with an integrated clearance system. In line with the approved Standard Operating Procedure, the platform brings together valuation, Customs Processing Centres, intelligence, enforcement, compliance monitoring, and gate operations into a single workflow, supported by digital tracking and clearly defined escalation paths.

Multiple checkpoints are collapsed into one coordinated decision space through automated alerts, joint inspections, and shared dashboards, ensuring that interventions are no  longer isolated actions but collective, accountable, and fully traceable decisions anchored in institutional responsibility.

Within this integrated framework, the One-Stop-Shop initiative pursues clear and measurable operational and economic outcomes:

(a) It reduces clearance time by eliminating duplicated reviews and sequential inspections, supporting a 48-hour clearance target and improving significantly on historical dwell times.

(b) It lowers compliance costs by minimizing physical interfaces and discretionary interventions.

(c) It strengthens revenue assurance through improved profiling, intelligence integration, and coordinated enforcement.

(d) It enhances transparency through digital audit trails and systematic performance monitoring.

(e) It aligns post-clearance controls with international best practice by assigning such interventions primarily to the Post Clearance Audit Unit, thereby reinforcing consistency, accountability, and regulatory discipline across the clearance cycle.

These outcomes align with global evidence under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which estimates that effective implementation can reduce trade costs in developing economies by over 14 per cent.

Technology alone does not reform institutions, which is why the deployment of the One-Stop-Shop has been supported by comprehensive process reengineering, structured officer training, and sustained change management programmes.

Units that once operated independently now function as integrated teams, guided by shared performance indicators and clearly defined responsibilities. Recent performance assessments confirm that MDAs with strong digital workflows and coordinated decision making frameworks achieve better service outcomes.

As part of this broader transformation, the Service is advancing toward a fully paperless Customs environment. I am pleased to inform stakeholders that the first phase of this transition, covering core clearance, documentation, and approval processes, is scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter of this year. This initiative will further reduce physical interfaces, enhance data integrity, improve processing speed, and strengthen audit controls.

No border reform succeeds without strong and sustained partnership. The One-Stop-Shop promotes inter-agency collaboration, harmonized inspections, and seamless information sharing in line with the “One Government” directive. Sector assessments have emphasized the importance of unified interface stations and joint task forces at the ports, reinforcing the need for coordinated regulatory action.

In this regard, I reaffirm the strong support of the Nigeria Customs Service for the National Single Window initiative. Customs has been actively engaged in its design and implementation, and we look forward to its formal launch by the end of the first quarter of 2026. When operational, the Single Window will complement the One-Stop-Shop by extending coordination across the entire border management ecosystem.”

The broader significance of this initiative extends well beyond Customs operations, as reduced dwell time strengthens supply chain reliability, lower transaction costs enhance export competitiveness, predictable procedures attract investment, and transparent systems reinforce public trust.

Nigeria’s recent Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization acknowledged ongoing efforts to streamline customs procedures and introduce modern compliance frameworks, while urging further improvements in risk management, to which the One-Stop-Shop provides a direct and practical response. When border processes function efficiently, industries become more competitive, employment opportunities expand, and national productivity is strengthened.

This engagement is the beginning of an ongoing reform process as the One-Stop-Shop framework will be subject to continuous review, with performance data guiding refinements, stakeholder feedback shaping upgrades, and emerging technologies integrated where they demonstrably add value. Throughout this process, our objective remains consistent: to facilitate legitimate trade without compromising control, to enhance efficiency without weakening compliance, and to pursue innovation firmly anchored in institutional discipline and regulatory responsibility.

This platform is a deliberate shift from fragmented interventions to coordinated governance, from discretion to data, and from isolated actions to collective responsibility. Through this reform, the Nigeria Customs Service continues to build systems that support lawful trade, protect national interests, and serve the economy with professionalism and integrity.

We therefore invite all stakeholders to engage constructively, utilize the platform responsibly, and hold us to the standards we have set, because progress at the border remains progress for the nation. I thank you for your partnership, your confidence, and your commitment to Nigeria’s growth.

“Today’s engagement addresses a concern shared by government, business, and citizens alike: how efficiently Nigeria moves goods across its borders, and how that efficiency shapes investment, competitiveness, and economic growth.

For years, traders, manufacturers, and logistics operators have pointed to delays, overlapping checks, fragmented processes, and unpredictable interventions that increase the cost of doing business and weaken confidence in our systems. National assessments, Nigeria’s recent Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization, and the findings of our just-concluded Time Release Study have documented these challenges, showing that while physical inspections often take only a few hours, consignments spend several days in idle waiting due largely to uncoordinated procedures and system gaps. These realities point clearly to structural and procedural gaps that can no longer be addressed through incremental adjustments or isolated interventions.

What is required is a coordinated, technology-enabled, and institutionally embedded solution—one that aligns policy intent with operational reality, balances facilitation with control, and places accountability at the centre of border management.

The Nigeria Customs Service has examined these findings closely and this engagement marks a decisive step toward practical, measurable and sustainable reform.

Monday Mooring salute the boldness and determination of the Service in launching the OSS initiative.