Customs Launches AEO, Reduces Cargo Clearance Time At Ports By 66.9%

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially launched its Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, a significant milestone in its efforts to reduce cargo clearance, modernise trade facilitation, ease cost of doing business and enhance supply chain security.

LEADERSHIP reports that the launch followed a successful pilot phase in April 2024 involving six companies.

However, speaking at the launch of the event in Lagos over the weekend, comptroller general of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who announced that the AEO registration portal would open on February 17 for eligible companies, disclosed that AEO-certified companies were achieving an average release time of 43 hours – surpassing our target by 5 hours.

The Customs boss highlighted the remarkable success of the pilot phase, noting that the collective trade value of the six participating companies increased from N185.8 billion in 2023 to N563.8 billion in 2024.
He said, Customs revenue generated from the companies also increased significantly, rising from N18.4 billion in 2023 to NGN 51.1 billion in 2024, contributing to NCS overall revenue growth from N 3.2 trillion in 2023 to NGN 6.1 trillion in 2024.

Speaking on the programme’s impact on operational efficiency, Adeniyi said, “we set an ambitious target to reduce clearance time from 168 hours to 48 hours. By December 31st, 2024, our AEO-certified companies were achieving an average release time of 43 hours – surpassing our target by five hours.

“This represents a remarkable 66.9 per cent reduction in cargo clearance time compared to the pre-AEO status of 5 days and significantly outperforms the 7-day clearance period required for regular Economic Operators (EOS).”

Adeniyi outlined the key benefits of the AEO programme, including accelerated customs clearance processes; substantial reduction in physical inspections; priority treatment in customs processes; enhanced predictability in supply chain operations; and measurable cost efficiencies.

He revealed that the pilot companies achieved cost savings exceeding N100 million within a quarter.

“The true measure of this partnership’s success is beyond the metrics, it is in the quality of relationships we are building. One compelling example is how our AEO partners have embraced the principle of self- regulation. Recently, one of our pilot beneficiaries demonstrated exceptional integrity by voluntarily disclosing an underpayment of duty amounting to several millions of naira.

This level of trust and transparency where partners self-audit and bring oversights to our attention – exemplifies the essence of the AEO programme, ” he said.

Adeniyi said, through these successes, Nigeria is positioning itself as a reliable, predictable, and competitive trading partner, aligning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

“The AEO programme strategically complements the President’s 8-Point Agenda by supporting food security through faster clearance of agricultural inputs and machinery; contributing to economic growth through trade facilitation; creating jobs through expanded business opportunities; improving access to capital by reducing operational costs for businesses; and fighting corruption through enhanced transparency in customs processes,” he pointed out.