The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority, has concluded a three-day stakeholder engagement in Lagos aimed at reducing cargo dwell time at the nation’s ports.

The engagement, titled “Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time,” brought together the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator framework. Hosted by the NPA, the session focused on streamlining port processes to improve the ease of doing business, according to a statement from the NPA on Sunday.

Held at the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa, the engagement followed a “shadowing” exercise in which officials observed real-time vessel berthing and cargo clearance operations at the Tincan Island and Lagos Port complexes.

Speaking at the event, PEBEC Director-General Zahrah Mustapha said the initiative was designed to move beyond identifying challenges to implementing practical solutions that have been delayed for years.

“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies,” Mustapha stated.

 “These are not just numbers; they represent missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth. This reform is about resilience and unlocking the nation’s economic potential.”

Mustapha said the initiative integrates government regulators and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability, with the goal of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to supporting PEBEC’s mandates.

He said the NPA was collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation to deploy the Port Community System, which is expected to serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window. According to him, the system is aimed at eliminating manual bottlenecks and synchronising port operations.

The NPA recently recorded a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance rating.

The outcomes of the engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months, as the NPA and PEBEC work to close operational gaps identified during port inspections and create a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates trade.