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Beyond the Fog: Can ICTN and $5 billion mandate finally secure Nigeria’s Ports?

Ibrahim Nasiru

“Whatever is hidden by the fog of the sea is eventually revealed by the light of the shore.”

This maritime maxim captures the true essence of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN), a tool designed to pull back the veil on what truly enters Nigeria’s waters.

For over a decade, however, the ICTN itself remained hidden in the fog of Nigerian bureaucracy, promised by successive administrations but never quite reaching the shore of actual implementation.

As the Federal Government makes its latest push to activate this system in 2026, the maritime community is watching with a mix of hope and hard-earned skepticism.

This skepticism is not born of a lack of patriotism, but of a long memory of “governmental rhetoric” and a history of legal warfare.

In 2010, the initial attempt to introduce the ICTN was unceremoniously scrapped following a massive outcry from the organized private sector, who viewed it as an extra tax offering no real value.

By 2015, the conversation returned, only to be swallowed by a protracted “supremacy battle” between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) over who should control the pulse of our maritime data.

This inter-agency rivalry was a “teapot of confusion” that cost Nigeria an estimated $500 million in annual revenue losses during the height of the friction, leaving our Ports vulnerable while neighbours in Ghana and Togo moved ahead.

The 15 year delay of the ICTN was never just about technology; it was a high-stakes struggle that left the national economy as the primary casualty.

Today, roughly $3.0 billion is lost annually to trade mis-invoicing, where exporters and importers “ghost” the true value of cargo to bypass Customs duties.

Another $1.2 billion vanishes through seaport fraud and cargo concealment, a practice that also poses a grave security risk by allowing the smuggling of small arms and dangerous drugs.

Furthermore, manual verification processes cost shippers $500 million in unnecessary demurrage, while the lack of transparency forces us to pay $300 million in “Perception Tax”, the high insurance premiums charged by international underwriters who cannot see the reality of our increasingly safe waters.

With presidential approval now secured and the procurement process officially underway, the NSC is under immense pressure to deliver on a binding commitment reinforced by recently signed ministerial performance bonds.

These bonds are no longer ceremonial; progress is monitored quarterly, with agency budgets directly linked to concrete results, including moving from the historic 21-day clearance cycle down to a 48-hour target.

The ICTN is, in theory, a masterclass in transparency, serving as a digital fingerprint for every container from the Port of loading to the point of discharge.

For this vision to truly reach the shore, it must be the data engine fueling the National Single Window (NSW).

Since Phase One of that project launched on March 27, 2026, the mandate has been clear: move Nigeria toward a global-standard clearance cycle.

The ICTN provides the pre-arrival intelligence that allows the system to process cargo before the ship even berths. This “pre-arrival intelligence” turns the tide on security by flagging high-risk shipments at their Port of origin, neutralizing “cargo concealment” and ensuring that substandard products do not flood local markets.

The goal is to move from “maritime blindness” to a proactive shield that protects both the economy and the borders. Central to this transformation is the creation of the “Green Lane,” an elite operational tier for Nigeria’s most trusted traders.

By marrying the ICTN with the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) program which fully replaced the old Fast Track scheme on February 1, 2026, the government has created a fast track corridor that rewards transparency with speed.

For Green Lane participants, physical inspections are waived at the point of import, allowing cargo to move straight from the quay to the warehouse in as little as 41 hours. This privilege is earned through rigorous validation by the AEO Helpdesk, ensuring that only firms with a clean security record and financial solvency can bypass the bottlenecks.

This system proves that security and efficiency are not mutually exclusive; by allowing trusted cargo to fly through, it frees up the Nigeria Customs Service to focus 100% of their physical resources on the “Red Lane” where the ICTN has flagged unverified shipments.

Nigeria’s digital upgrade has sent ripples through the Lomé-Cotonou-Tema corridor, intensifying the regional “Port War.” Historically, neighbouring Ports flourished by handling cargo diverted away from Nigeria’s manual systems.

As Nigeria finally leverages its weight, analysts project that neighbours could lose up to 25% of their traffic.

This shift is not just happening at the coast; the ICTN and NSW are transforming the hinterland through Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) like Funtua and Dala.

By digitizing the “umbilical cord” between the sea and the interior, cargo can now be tracked and cleared at dry Ports as if they were seaside terminals, supported by a paperless Enterprise Content Management platform.

The light is now on the shore. If the 2026 targets are met and the government ensures this system remains a “security and efficiency project” rather than a “revenue grab,” Nigeria will finally reclaim its economic sovereignty and its natural status as the maritime hub of Africa, South of the Sahara.

 

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a former General Manager, Corporate and strategic communications, NPA, writes from Abuja.

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Headlines

NIWA seeks stronger partnership with World Maritime University to boost Nigeria’s Inland Waterways sector

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s inland waterways sector through international collaboration following a strategic meeting with the President of the World Maritime University, Maximo Q. Mejia Jr., on the sidelines of the ongoing IMO Council Meeting in London.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, focused on leveraging global expertise to advance inland waterways development, maritime education, capacity building, and sustainable water transportation systems in Nigeria.

Leading the NIWA delegation, which included the Acting Managing Director, Yusuf Girei, Shagari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to modernising its inland waterways infrastructure and developing the skilled workforce required to drive sustainable growth in the sector.

He observed that Nigeria’s extensive inland waterways network offers enormous potential for transportation, trade, and the growth of the nation’s blue economy.

According to him, forging strategic partnerships with globally recognised maritime institutions is critical to achieving the Federal Government’s objectives of improving safety, operational efficiency, and economic activities across the country’s waterways.

Shagari further emphasised that deeper collaboration in research, training, and knowledge exchange would equip Nigerian maritime professionals with the technical expertise needed to address emerging industry challenges while aligning the sector with international best practices.

Responding, Prof. Mejia reaffirmed the World Maritime University’s commitment to supporting member states through education, research, and capacity development initiatives.

He commended Nigeria’s growing emphasis on maritime development and expressed the University’s readiness to deepen cooperation with relevant government agencies and stakeholders.

The WMU President stressed that sustainable maritime growth depends on sustained investment in human capital, innovation, and strict adherence to international standards.

Both leaders also explored opportunities to expand specialised training programmes, academic exchanges, and institutional partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s maritime administration and inland waterways management framework.

Maritime stakeholders described the engagement as a significant step towards linking Nigeria’s inland waterways sector with global centres of excellence, enabling the country to benefit from international best practices in water transport development.

The meeting was one of a series of high-level engagements taking place during the IMO Council session, where maritime leaders are discussing policies and initiatives to promote safer, more secure, and environmentally sustainable shipping worldwide.

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Customs

PEBEC rates Nigeria Customs Service among top performing agencies in trade facilitation

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading government agencies in trade facilitation following its outstanding performance in the 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Assessment conducted by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

The assessment report, released on July 3, 2026, ranked the NCS among the country’s best-performing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for fully complying with the standards prescribed under the Business Facilitation Act.

Speaking on the assessment, PEBEC Director-General, Zahrah Audu, commended the Service for meeting all compliance requirements while demonstrating significant improvements in the speed, efficiency and responsiveness of its trade-related services.

“The Nigeria Customs Service distinguished itself by meeting all the required standards while recording notable improvements in the timeliness and efficiency of its response to trade-related matters,” Audu said.

She noted that the achievement reflects the Service’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the creation of a more business-friendly trading environment.

According to Audu, the performance aligns with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda and underscores the NCS’s sustained efforts to enhance operational efficiency and improve stakeholders’ experience.

She further disclosed that 98 per cent of the 69 MDAs assessed under the Business Facilitation Act now meet the expected service delivery standards, describing the outcome as clear evidence of the positive impact of the ongoing reforms aimed at improving public service delivery across the country.

The recognition follows a series of strategic reforms implemented by the Nigeria Customs Service to modernise customs administration. These include the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme and the Advance Ruling System.

The initiatives have streamlined import and export processes, reduced cargo clearance time, strengthened transparency in customs operations and enhanced Nigeria’s trade facilitation framework, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to supporting economic growth, facilitating legitimate trade and improving Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global trading system.

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Customs

CGC Adeniyi advocates interoperable Customs systems to advance AfCFTA trade modernisation

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has emphasised the need for interoperable Customs systems across Africa, describing seamless digital integration as a critical requirement for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Customs Modernisation Project.

Adeniyi made the remarks on Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, in Lagos during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security for the commencement of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026.

The Comptroller-General identified the lack of harmonised digital systems among African Customs administrations as one of the major impediments to the implementation of the continental free trade agreement, stressing that interoperability would significantly improve trade facilitation and cross-border commerce among member states.

“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementing AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems,” Adeniyi said.

“All Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to connect to one system and facilitate trade effectively.”

He described the selection of Bergmans Security to implement the initiative as a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s Customs modernisation programme and a strong endorsement of the country’s digital transformation efforts.

“We are delighted that it is a Nigerian company that has been given this platform to extend what they have been doing to the rest of Africa, enabling us to strengthen trade facilitation and accelerate the implementation of AfCFTA,” he added.

Earlier, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, disclosed that the Secretariat adopted Nigeria’s Customs modernisation model after observing the country’s success in deploying digital technologies that have enhanced revenue generation, operational efficiency and Customs administration.

Mene described the partnership with Bergmans Security as a major milestone towards establishing a modern and interoperable Customs ecosystem capable of supporting seamless cross-border trade across the African continent.

“Today, Nigeria is already benefiting from the deployment of these technologies,” he said.

“From our perspective, the continent has much to gain from the model introduced here in Nigeria. That is why we signed this agreement today.

“We believe our partnership with Bergmans Security will help us achieve our objective of building a continental, modern and interoperable Customs system that enables economic operators across Africa to benefit from an expanded market.”

The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to deepen Customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms, strengthen trade facilitation, improve revenue collection, and accelerate the full implementation of the AfCFTA by creating a more efficient, integrated and competitive continental trading environment.

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