Blue Economy
APM Terminals Apapa Commissions New Customs Offices, Targets Faster Cargo Clearance at Lagos Port
APM Terminals Apapa Commissions New Customs Offices, Targets Faster Cargo Clearance at Lagos Port
By Emetena Ikuku | Waterways News Reporter
Nigeria’s busiest container terminal has taken a fresh step toward resolving one of the most persistent challenges facing the nation’s maritime sector — the slow clearance of goods at the port.
APM Terminals Apapa on Thursday commissioned newly renovated offices dedicated to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Lagos Port Complex, in a move that industry stakeholders say could significantly reduce the delays that have long plagued cargo operations at the nation’s premier seaport.
The upgraded facility is designed to provide a more integrated workspace for Customs officers, facilitating faster coordination with terminal operators — a critical gap that has contributed to container turnaround bottlenecks at one of West Africa’s busiest maritime hubs.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, APM Terminals Apapa Managing Director Kamal Alhraishat said the new Customs Office and Customer Service Centre, located within the staff building, represents a deliberate move toward modernising cargo clearing operations.
The Lagos Port Complex Port Manager, Adebowale Lawal Ibrahim, welcomed the development, describing it as both timely and impactful, and noting that APM Terminals has consistently demonstrated industry leadership by raising operational standards and prioritising customer experience.
For Customs officers working at the port, the message from their leadership was equally clear. Apapa Port Command Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, stressed that workplace conditions directly affect morale, efficiency and service delivery, adding that a professional environment naturally heightens officers’ sense of responsibility and commitment to duty.
The renovation of Customs facilities at Apapa has also been described as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the National Single Window project — a digital trade facilitation platform the federal government has been rolling out to streamline cargo documentation and approvals across all ports.
The commissioning drew senior management from APM Terminals Apapa, Nigerian Ports Authority representatives, NCS officials, and stakeholders from shipping lines and logistics companies.
APM Terminals Apapa, a subsidiary of APM Terminals, handles a significant share of Nigeria’s containerised cargo and has in recent years invested in modern equipment, digital solutions and infrastructure improvements aimed at cutting turnaround times and aligning port operations with global best practices.
For the waterways and maritime community, the development signals a growing recognition that solving Nigeria’s port efficiency problem requires not just hardware — cranes, berths and scanners — but also the softer infrastructure of coordinated governance and functional workspaces for the agencies that keep trade moving.
Waterways News | Covering Nigeria’s Maritime, Inland Waterways and Logistics Sectors