Oyedele Tasks Customs To Cut Port Delays, Speed Up Cargo Clearance

• Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele has charged Customs with eliminating trade bottlenecks and accelerating cargo clearance at Nigerian ports.

• He wants the Service to adopt world-class performance standards and measurable KPIs that show whether businesses are actually experiencing easier trade.

• Oyedele said faster trade facilitation is critical to attracting investment, creating jobs and positioning Nigeria to benefit from AfCFTA.

September 07, () — The Finance Minister and Chairman of the Nigeria Customs Service Board, Taiwo Oyedele, has tasked the Nigeria Customs Service with eliminating bottlenecks at the ports and speeding up cargo clearance as part of efforts to make doing business in Nigeria easier.

Oyedele gave the charge during his first Board meeting at the Customs headquarters in Abuja since becoming Chairman of the NCS Board.

In a statement shared via X on Sunday, the minister said Customs must improve port efficiency and establish measurable standards to assess its performance against global benchmarks.

Customs Told To Measure Performance

Oyedele said the Service must develop clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and set world-class standards for its operations.

“We’ve given a charge to the Customs Service to say, measure the progress you’re making. We want to see your key performance indicators. We want you to set a world-class standard”, he said.

According to him, the ultimate measure of reform should not be government claims about improved business conditions but the experience of businesses operating in Nigeria.

He said companies should be able to experience faster and easier trade processes rather than simply being told that improvements have been made.

“Not because we say it, but because they experience it on the ground that doing business with Nigeria and in Nigeria is a delight”, Oyedele said.

Faster Clearance Linked To Jobs, Investment

The minister said removing barriers to trade goes beyond improving Customs operations, arguing that more efficient processes can have wider economic effects.

He said easier trade facilitation would create opportunities for businesses to expand, support job creation, reduce poverty and promote shared prosperity.

Oyedele also commended Customs for its recent performance and recognition by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council as one of the top-performing government agencies.

However, he warned the Service against becoming complacent because of the recognition.

“There’s a tendency for us as human beings to become complacent sometimes because you’re being celebrated, because you’re showing results and once you get to that point, you’re losing it already”, he said.

AfCFTA Raises Pressure For Reform

Oyedele said Customs’ performance would become increasingly important as Nigeria seeks to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

He argued that Nigeria cannot rely solely on the size of its population to maintain its position as Africa’s leading economy.

Instead, he said the country must demonstrate leadership by improving the ease of doing business and setting standards in trade facilitation.

The minister linked these reforms to Nigeria’s broader ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, saying efficient trade processes would help expand economic opportunities and ensure that the benefits of growth reach more Nigerians.

For Customs, the challenge is therefore shifting from simply collecting revenue and enforcing border controls to balancing those responsibilities with faster cargo movement and a more competitive trading environment.

The effectiveness of the reforms will ultimately be measured by whether importers, exporters and other businesses experience shorter clearance times, fewer bottlenecks and lower transaction costs at Nigeria’s ports.