NPA, PEBEC, PCEC Collaborate to Achieve Seven-Day Cargo Dwell Time at Nigerian Ports

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA), has held a three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos aimed at streamlining port operations to enhance ease of doing business.

The engagement, themed “Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time,” was hosted by the NPA at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa.
According to the NPA, the event followed an extensive “shadowing” exercise during which officials monitored real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance processes at the Tin Can Island and Lagos Port complexes.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha, said the session was designed to go beyond identifying challenges and focus on implementing long-overdue, practical solutions.
“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies,” Mustapha said. “These losses are not just figures; they reflect missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth. This reform is about building resilience and unlocking the nation’s economic potential.”
She explained that the initiative brings together government regulators and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability, with the ultimate objective of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting PEBEC’s reform agenda.
He noted that the NPA is advancing efforts through collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which will serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window. The initiative, he said, is expected to eliminate manual bottlenecks and harmonise port operations.
Recall that the NPA recorded a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among government agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance score.
The NPA added that the outcomes of the stakeholder engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months, stressing that by addressing operational gaps identified during port inspections, the NPA and PEBEC aim to create a more competitive maritime environment capable of attracting investment and facilitating seamless trade.