The Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) absolute digitalization initiative results in its pursuit of a 40 percent scanning of cargoes and 60 percent physical examination in 2026 against the current ratio of 30-70 percentage of scanning to physical examination, which is aimed at arresting inefficiency and minimizing delayed clearing processes and port congestion
By Innocent Chukwu
In its quest to avoid incessant port congestion and reduce inefficiency in its operations especially as it affects the cargo clearing processes, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is pursuing the achievement of a 40 percent scanning of all the cargoes coming into the country before the end of 2026. According to the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, the measure would boost business activities in the ports and border posts, and increase efficiency in cargo clearance.
The Customs boss made the announcement on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the occasion of showcasing seizures of 13 containers of expired pharmaceutical products and cannabis sativa (Colorado) made by the Apapa Area 1 Command in the first quarter of 2026. The CGC disclosed that 13 containers of the outlawed consignment were confiscated by the Command which he said their Duty Paid Value (DPV) amounted to N6.3bn.
Adeniyi further hinted that the eye-popping seizures were recorded as a result of what he described as the “direct outcome of this shift toward intelligence-driven enforcement supported by scanning technology and targeted physical examination”.
Through careful risk profiling and non-intrusive inspection procedures, the CGC added, operatives of the Apapa Area 1 Customs Command were able to identify several containers with irregular cargo profiles that orchestrated further examination and seizure.
The seized containers included 40-footer container number HASU 4072659 which conveyed large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products such as Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets, two by 40-feet containers number MRSU 4584911 and MRSU 6913370 which conveyed large quantities of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate unregistered pharmaceuticals.
Others were “a 20-foot container (MRKU 8830266) conveying 800 cartons of Codeine (TPL CSC) deliberately concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware, 40-foot container (MRSU 5147562) conveying cartons of Artesunate 60 injections. 20-foot container (PCIU 286888) conveying restricted security equipment without End User Certificates, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches”.
There were also “a 20-foot container (TCLU 3819607) conveying expired muffin cookie biscuits, a 20-foot container (UGMU 8692902) containing 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks, 20-foot container (SUDU 1696593) loaded with expired St. Kelvin tomato paste, another 20-foot container (TCLU 1923314) containing expired De Truth tomato paste, 40-foot container (TCNU 7257465) containing 1,700 cartons of Codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks.
He said additional “40-foot container (CAAU 8375050) was found to contain 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine concealed with 156 cartons of electric kettles, alongside additional pharmaceutical seizures including 13 cartons of Bristol brand of Co-codamol 500mg and 2 cartons of Zevita brand Co-codamol 500mg. Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa (Colorado) weighing 347.57kg concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Chassis No. 5TDDK3DC7DS057669. These seizures amounted to ₦6,381,237,988.00 (Six Billion, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Million, Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira) worth of prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods”
The CGC said that the importation of expired drugs and controlled substances remained a direct threat to public health, adding that the “concealment of codeine-based products represented a calculated attempt to fuel substance abuse and undermine our healthcare system.”
He maintained that Apapa Port is no go area for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation.
Adeniyi disclosed that the Service has been working closely with government agencies and industry stakeholders to check the issue of port congestion.
He disclosed that the recent launch of the Green Channel at Lekki Deep Seaport was part of the broader strategy to accelerate cargo clearance for compliant traders and strengthen enforcement against high-risk consignments.
He added that the increasing volume of trade passing through Nigerian ports has made the responsibility of the Nigeria Customs Service even greater.
He said, “Thousands of containers pass through this port every day carrying goods that support businesses, sustain industries and drive our national economy. While their mandate requires them to facilitate legitimate trade, they must also ensure that our ports are not exploited by criminal networks attempting to introduce dangerous, prohibited or falsely declared goods into the country”.
Hence, the Service has deployed technology-driven enforcement tools to facilitate cargo examination and ensure efficiency at the ports.
Speaking further, the CGC said, “These systems enable officers to examine containerized cargo rapidly, detect anomalies in declarations and identify suspicious consignment without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate trade flows. Current operational data from Apapa Port shows that 3,236 consignment were processed through the Orange Channel (Non-Intrusive Inspection – scanning), 5,490 through the Yellow Channel (documentary checks), while a significantly higher 21,373 consignments were subjected to full physical examination under the Red Channel. Additionally, 1,118 consignment passed through the Blue Channel and 149 through the Green Channel, reflecting varying levels of facilitation based on compliance and risk profiling.
“This distribution clearly indicates that physical examination still dominates cargo control procedures, reinforcing the need to expand the use of scanning technology. Strengthening non-intrusive inspection and combining it with intelligence-driven risk management, will enable the Service concentrate physical examinations on high-risk shipments and facilitate fast clearance for compliant traders. Our strategic objective is therefore to significantly increase the proportion of cargo subjected to scanning across all major entry points in Nigeria before the end of the year, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and other operational commands.
“This shift will enhance enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and support their broader goal of facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust border control. It is important to emphasize that achieving this target will depend largely on the level of compliance demonstrated by traders and other stakeholders within the port ecosystem. As compliance improves, Customs will be able to rely more on technology-driven inspection and risk management rather than time-consuming physical examination. This is why we strongly encourage traders to continue improving their compliance culture and take advantage of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, which provides trusted traders with predictable clearance processes and faster cargo facilitation”.
Meanwhile, the CGC inspected the newly installed Drive Through Scanner equipment at the Apapa Port.
