The new Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Murtala Muazu, has moved quickly to address operational friction at Nigeria’s busiest port, ordering a review of demand notice delays while putting training, stakeholder compliance and engagement with shipping lines on the command’s immediate agenda.

 Muazu made the commitments on Monday, 5 October 2026, during his first stakeholder engagement at the command, where port users raised concerns about clearance delays, training gaps and operational challenges involving shipping companies.

His early priorities point to a practical service delivery agenda: identify where the clearance chain is slowing down, strengthen the capacity of those operating within it and improve coordination among the actors responsible for moving cargo through Apapa.

 

“I want to make it clear to the trading public that I am here to strengthen the foundations that have already been laid,” Muazu said.

TARGETING DEMAND NOTICE DELAYS

Among the immediate issues identified was the processing of demand notices.

Stakeholders raised concerns about delays, prompting Muazu to direct a review of the process to determine where bottlenecks are occurring and what can be done to reduce them.

“We will examine the process, identify any causes of delay and take steps to reduce or eliminate them, by the grace of God,” he said.

The directive places process efficiency at the centre of the new administration’s early agenda.

For importers, exporters and licensed customs agents, predictable clearance procedures are critical. Delays in one part of the process can create further uncertainty across cargo movement and logistics planning.

The review therefore provides an opportunity for the command to look beyond individual complaints and determine whether procedural or operational gaps are contributing to avoidable delays.

TRAINING AS A SERVICE DELIVERY TOOL

Muazu also identified knowledge and compliance gaps among participants in the clearance process as an area requiring attention.

Responding to stakeholder concerns about training, he said the command had developed a roadmap that would begin with releasing and examination officers before extending to importers, exporters and licensed customs agents.

The objective is to strengthen understanding of Customs procedures and compliance requirements across the clearance chain.

That is significant because port efficiency depends not only on the performance of Customs officers but also on how effectively other participants understand and comply with the processes governing cargo clearance.

Where procedures, documentation or regulatory requirements are misunderstood, errors can create additional work and delays. 

Training can therefore serve as a service delivery intervention, strengthening both internal capacity and stakeholder understanding.

SHIPPING LINES ALSO ON THE AGENDA

The CAC also responded to concerns about operational challenges involving shipping lines.

Muazu said the issues raised by stakeholders would form part of the command’s planned engagement with shipping companies, with the concerns to be formally presented as part of efforts to ease difficulties faced by port users.

The move recognises the interconnected nature of port operations. 

Customs is a critical part of the clearance process, but cargo movement also depends on the performance and coordination of other actors across the port ecosystem. 

Structured engagement with shipping lines could therefore help address operational issues that extend beyond Customs procedures and affect the wider experience of port users.

FROM STAKEHOLDER CONCERNS TO OPERATIONAL ACTION

The significance of Muazu’s first engagement lies in the specificity of the issues identified.

Demand notice delays, training gaps and shipping line challenges are distinct problems, but they converge around one central question: how efficiently can cargo move through the Apapa system?

The answer depends on the quality of processes, the capacity of the people operating them and the coordination between institutions and private sector participants.

Muazu’s stated approach is to address those points through targeted intervention while strengthening existing structures.

For the Apapa Command, the next step will be translating those commitments into measurable improvements in the daily experience of port users.

A review of demand notice processing will need to identify the source of delays and produce a more efficient process.

 

The training programme will need to improve understanding and reduce avoidable compliance errors.

Engagement with shipping lines will need to move beyond dialogue towards practical resolution of the concerns presented by stakeholders.

More about Nigeria Customs Service

 

THE TEST FOR THE NEW APAPA COMMAND

Apapa occupies a critical position in Nigeria’s trade infrastructure, making the efficiency of its Customs operations relevant far beyond the command itself.

For businesses moving cargo through the port, service delivery is ultimately measured through clearer procedures, predictable processing, effective communication and reduced delays.

That makes implementation the real test of the new administration’s early agenda.

The stakeholder engagement has established the issues.

The review of demand notice processing provides an immediate operational test.

The training roadmap creates a pathway for strengthening capacity.

The planned engagement with shipping lines opens another channel for addressing challenges across the wider port ecosystem.

Together, these measures point towards a service delivery approach built around identifying friction points and addressing them directly.

PrimeAxis Insight

Comptroller Muazu’s early agenda at Apapa Customs points to a simple but important reality: port efficiency is not created by one institution acting alone. It is created by how effectively the different parts of the clearance chain work together.

Demand notice processing, Customs examinations, documentation, compliance and shipping line operations may appear as separate processes. For the port user, however, they form one experience.

A delay in one part can create friction across the chain. 

That makes the review of demand notice processing more than an administrative exercise. If the command can identify the causes of delay and improve the process, it can remove one source of uncertainty from cargo clearance.

The proposed training programme carries similar significance. Better understanding of procedures among officers, importers, exporters and licensed customs agents can reduce avoidable errors and strengthen compliance before problems become delays.

Engagement with shipping lines is equally important because Customs cannot resolve every operational constraint within the port ecosystem on its own.

The real measure of Muazu’s intervention, therefore, will not be the number of stakeholder meetings held or commitments announced. It will be whether port users experience clearer processes, better coordination and fewer avoidable delays.

Apapa does not need efficiency in isolated parts. It needs efficiency across the chain.

That is the test now facing the new Customs Area Controller.

If the concerns raised by stakeholders can be converted into measurable improvements in clearance, compliance and coordination, Muazu’s early intervention will have moved beyond engagement into meaningful service delivery.

For Nigeria’s most important port gateway, that is ultimately where the value lies.