Apapa Customs Aims to Scan 200 Containers Per Hour to Improve Trade & Cargo Clearance
The Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is stepping up its efforts to modernize operations. Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba, the Customs Area Controller, has announced that fixed scanners are being installed to enable the scanning of 200 containers per hour, with the goal of facilitating faster, more efficient trade and cargo clearance.
What’s Changing
Fixed Scanner Installations: Three fixed scanners are being set up at Apapa Port, close to the berthing areas. These will work around the clock to ensure high-volume, non-intrusive inspections of goods and cargos.
New Technology: The scanners are NUCTECH FS6000 models from China. They can scan trucks and containers in a single pass using dual-energy X-ray systems.
Support Structures: To prevent downtime, APM Terminals is providing a mobile scanner as backup. ICT officers will also be trained in scanner maintenance (tier one & two), ensuring sustainability of these installations.
Why It Matters for Trade
Speed and Efficiency: Faster scanning reduces delays for clearing containers and other cargos. Stakeholders—importers, exporters, and clearing agents in Nigeria—stand to benefit significantly from shorter wait times.
Security & Transparency: Strategically positioned scanners will enhance non-intrusive inspection, exposing false declarations or concealment of goods. This builds trust among traders and improves compliance.
Modernization Push: This is part of the broader NCS modernization and trade facilitation efforts under the leadership of the Comptroller General, in which scanning, digitalization, and more rigorous enforcement play key roles.
What’s Being Expected
Port users and trade stakeholders are being urged to abide by rules of honest declaration, because the new technology will make concealment difficult. Also, staff training (especially for maintenance and operations of the scanners) is being prioritized so that the upgrade is not only deployed but also maintained.
The initiative by Apapa Customs to scan up to 200 containers per hour represents a meaningful leap forward in trade facilitation, speed, and transparency in Nigeria. By enhancing infrastructure for clearing goods and cargos in Nigeria, deploying modern scanners, and investing in capacity building, Apapa Port is positioning itself (and by extension all stakeholders—) for smoother operations.
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