Stakeholders from Nigeria’s maritime and logistics sectors on Friday July 10 2026, canvassed for urgent reforms to boost port efficiency and trade facilitation.
The maritime players made this known at the Portbizness Annual Corporate CEOs Conference held in Lagos.
The event gathered captains of industry, maritime stakeholders to discuss digitalisation, infrastructure development, regulatory reform, public‑private partnerships and sustainable practices.
Speaking t the event, President,
National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, highlighted a six‑point roadmap aimed at transforming the nation’s ports into technology‑driven, transparent and ethically run gateways.
Ezisi was represented by NAGAFF Secretary-General Godfrey Nwosu called for reforms in port efficiency, accelerated digital transformation, regulatory transparency, professional capacity building, stronger stakeholder collaboration and greater fairness in freight forwarding practices.
“Efficiency remains the heartbeat of global maritime competitiveness,” he said.
While emphasising the need to cut cargo dwell time, eliminate avoidable delays, strengthen port automation and improve coordination among port service providers., he also urged full adoption of electronic documentation, integration of customs and terminal systems, and enhanced cybersecurity for port operations.
Delegates committed to follow‑up engagements to operationalise the conference’s roadmap, with NAGAFF pledging to champion industry collaboration and capacity building across the sector.
In a keynote paper titled “The Driving Force Behind Nigeria’s Trade Facilitation and Port Efficiency,” High Chief Aare Asiwaaju Haruna Omolajomo, MD/CEO of Harsecom Logistics Limited, described trade facilitation as the engine for jobs, cheaper food and competitive exports. He warned that delays at ports impose the highest “tariff” on Nigerian businesses, citing a 2024 case in which a Hibiscus container took 45 days at Apapa, eroding profits.
Omolajomo outlined three core drivers of trade facilitation — economic competitiveness, people‑centred governance and regional/global integration — and urged government agencies to implement “one system, one inspection, one payment” through the Nigeria Single Window (NSW). He also appealed to SMEs to adopt NSW fully and to industry leaders to treat trade facilitation as a national competitiveness priority.
Convener, Portbizness Managing Director/CEO James Shodiya welcomed delegates and said the conference theme reflected a pivotal moment for Nigeria to assert itself as West Africa’s trade and logistics hub.
He called for collaboration among government, terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, financial institutions and technology providers to translate conference discussions into actionable policies, investments and partnerships.
Organisers said the conference aims to convert recommendations into measurable outcomes that reduce clearance times, cut costs and grow non‑oil exports.
