WAF Shipping Focus: Week 50
- Agwe Logistics Solutions
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
For decades, Nigeria’s logistics system has struggled under the weight of chronic underinvestment, fragmented customs procedures, and deeply entrenched bottlenecks. The result is a high-cost, high-friction environment where clearing goods at the port can take anywhere from 17 to 21 days - one of the slowest timelines in West Africa. These inefficiencies cost Nigerian businesses an estimated ₦2.5 trillion every year, according to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and have steadily pushed cargo volumes toward faster, more predictable neighbouring ports in Ghana, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire. But a new project on the edge of the Lekki peninsula is betting that it can fix Nigeria’s broken logistics system. TY Logistics Park FZE, a 29,000-square-metre facility located within Alaro City, a fully integrated logistics hub developed by General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma’s TY Holdings Group, launched, December 8, as West Africa’s
first Free Zone–based contract logistics platform. Located within the Lekki Free Zone and 20 minutes from the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the facility promises speed, predictability, and seamless automation.
For further information please check the link below:
The Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered a major petroleum smuggling network in Adamawa State, cutting off fuel supply lines that authorities say have been draining national revenue and strengthening criminal economies along Nigeria’s northern borders. National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, ACG Kolapo Oladeji, disclosed that officers recorded 55 seizures in eight weeks, blocking the illegal movement of more than 184,000 litres of PMS, a development he described as a significant economic breakthrough for the country. “This operation is about protecting Nigeria’s strategic resources,” Oladeji told journalists at the Customs House in Yola. “Our mandate is clear: to shut down all illegal supply chains that empower criminal elements.” The seizures, valued at N181.6 million in
duty-paid terms, were intercepted across notorious smuggling corridors including Mubi–Sahuda, Farang–Belel, Gurin–Fufore, Maiha, Wuro-Bokki, Ribado waterways, Muninga and Bakin Kogi.
For further information please check the link below:
The expansion, executed by MPS, whose primary stakeholders include AGL, APM Terminals, and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), represents a US$1.5bn investment. The initiative involved reclaiming 1,270,000 m² of land from the ocean, deploying advanced handling equipment, and integrating digital systems, further elevating Tema’s role as a strategic maritime gateway in West Africa. The upgraded terminal now spans 127 hectares and features a 1.4 km quay with four berths capable of receiving ultra-large container vessels with drafts of up to 16 metres. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the development boosts
Tema Port’s container throughput capacity from 800,000 TEU to 3 million TEU annually. By adhering to global operational standards, the revamped Terminal 3 improves efficiency and enhances the competitiveness of Ghana’s logistics network. “We are committed to ensuring that this infrastructure stimulates not only trade, but also industrial development in the region,” said Philippe Labonne, president of Africa Global Logistics.
For further information please check the link below:
Despite the ease of doing business initiative by the federal government, Nigeria ports have been rated as among the worst in sub-Saharan Africa. The maritime authorities have not be able to position the ports among the best on the continent as a result of a series of failed policies. Years of excessive reliance on Apapa and Tin Can ports have led to crippling gridlock, inefficiency, corruption and the collapse of traffic management systems. The problem persists despite the recent introduction of the electronic call-up system to manage the chaotic traffic. In the aftermath, most ships bringing goods to Nigeria prefer to go to other neighbouring ports, particularly Cotonou, Tema and Lome. But after decades of missed opportunities measured in trillions of naira, the federal government seems
to be taking seriously the need to decentralise the country’s seaports and unlock dormant economic potential. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is poised to build a maritime nation where every shoreline counts by transforming several waterways into corridors of commerce.
For further information please check the link below:
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has extended the deadline for the migration of all beneficiaries under the Fast Track Scheme to the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, shifting the earlier cut-off date of 31 December 2025 to 31 January 2026. The extension, according to the Service is in furtherance of its commitment to deepening trade facilitation, secure supply chain and strengthen compliance in line with global standards. A statement issued by the Customs Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdulahi Maiwada urged all existing Fast Track beneficiaries who are yet to complete their migration to initiate and
conclude their AEO applications through the official platform: aeo.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng. “The extended timeline provides operators with ample opportunity to meet programme requirements and secure AEO certification without disruption to their business operations. “For enquiries,
technical support, or guidance, stakeholders may reach the dedicated
helpdesk via aeo@customs.gov.ng. Only companies duly certified under
the AEO Programme will continue to access the facilitation privileges
previously available under the Fast Track Scheme. ”
For further information please check the link below:
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded another major drug interception at the Apapa Port, barely five days after both agencies uncovered 25.5kg of cocaine aboard a Brazilian-flagged vessel. In the latest operation, officers of the two agencies seized a total of 1,187kg of Canadian Loud, a high-grade strain of cannabis, concealed inside an imported vehicle. The discovery followed credible intelligence provided by
the NDLEA. According to officials, 2,374 packages of the illicit drug were found hidden in 55 bags stuffed inside a 1x20ft container with number FCIU 6369526, which carried two imported vehicles. Each sachet of the drug was packed in 500-gram portions. The joint examination carried out by Customs and NDLEA officers led to the uncovering of the consignment, which has since been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation. Controller Emmanuel Oshoba, Area Controller of Apapa Command, described the seizure as another testament to the sustained cooperation between the two agencies and reiterated the Command’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking and all forms of smuggling.
For further information please check the link below:
Comments