The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to seamless port operations and trade facilitation following the commissioning of the Lagos Free Zone Green Channels.
Speaking during the inauguration, Adeniyi said the initiative was designed to reduce the time and cost of doing business at the nation’s ports, thereby enhancing efficiency and competitiveness.
According to him, under the new arrangement, containers discharged from vessels are moved directly through a dedicated corridor known as the Green Channel to a designated examination area without the usual bottlenecks associated with conventional port operations.
He noted that, previously, containers were subjected to multiple encumbrances before reaching examination bays, often resulting in delays of up to three or four days due to stacking challenges and difficulty in locating consignments.
The CGC explained that the Green Channel allows containers to move seamlessly from the vessel to a dedicated stacking area where Customs officers can easily access and examine them. He added that the movement of containers is electronically tracked in real time from the point of discharge, enabling Customs to monitor consignments online throughout the process
He described the initiative as a product of strengthened trust and collaboration between Customs and its stakeholders, expressing confidence that operators would comply with regulations in the spirit of trade facilitation.
On the broader economic impact, the CGC said the initiative aligns with efforts to create a more competitive economy by improving port logistics and eliminating unnecessary delays.
Explaining the rationale behind the name, Adeniyi said the corridor was termed “Green Channel” because it represents uninterrupted movement without Customs or other governmental interventions along the route. Any stoppage or interference, he noted, would defeat the purpose of the seamless process.
“What you have seen today speaks exactly to trade facilitation. Containers that are laden on vessels are brought down immediately and taken through the green channel to where examination will be done. This is not what we used to have before.
“In the short run, we expect that it will help us reduce the cost and time of doing business, which will translate into higher revenue for the Nigeria Customs Service. Once trade is facilitated, revenue will follow,” he stated.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja described the initiative as a major milestone in trade facilitation and ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Ladoja noted that once containers arrive at the free zone, they are examined and then moved directly to the enterprise’s facility for use. She added that businesses operating within the zone can now receive their containers within 48 to 72 hours , a development she described as a “game changer.”
She said the initiative significantly reduces operational costs, improves efficiency and enhances competitiveness for companies operating within the zone.
The Lagos Free Zone currently hosts 38 enterprises, all of which can benefit from the two-way channel arrangement for imports and exports through the Lekki Deep Sea Port. The port, she stated, has a capacity of 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Ladoja expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs for approving the initiative, noting that the approval followed years of planning and compliance with regulatory requirements.
She emphasised that all necessary infrastructure and transparency mechanisms have been put in place to ensure seamless operations. According to her, Customs maintains full visibility of cargo movement from the port to the free zone.
On environmental compliance, Ladoja confirmed that all statutory permits and approvals have been secured. She noted that the Lagos Free Zone was established in 2012, while the Lekki Deep Sea Port commenced operations in 2023, adding that all environmental impact assessments and regulatory requirements were duly addressed before their establishment and operation.
She expressed confidence that the initiative would further position Nigeria as a competitive trade hub and strengthen the country’s drive toward improved trade facilitation.
“The Green Channel is essentially the movement of cargo from the port straight to Lagos Free Zone. This is the only free zone in Nigeria where this can happen. There is no other place where you can have direct movement from the port to the free zone without examination at the port.
“So far, so good. We are continuing to test the process, and everything has been going well. We believe it will deliver 100 percent success,” she stated.