Just in: Cargo Evacuation Essential for Smooth Int’l Trade—CAC Nnadi

The TinCan Port Customs Area Controller (CAC) Dera Nnadi has averred that “Cargo evacuation from Customs Ports to the hinterland is essential for the smooth operation of international trade.”

Presenting a paper at the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Stakeholders sensitization summit in Apapa, with title: ‘The Roles of Nigeria Customs Service in the Evacuation of Cargoes from Seaport to the Hinterland’, he explained that “Nigeria’s trade and logistics sector are part of this chain,” adding that “The NCS plays a critical role in this process, ensuring that cargoes are cleared, secured, and transported efficiently. This paper explores the various roles of the NCS in this context, emphasizing the importance of decongesting seaports, the role of escort customs officers, and the collaborative efforts needed to optimize cargo clearance. The NCS roles in this regards is complimented by other parties involved in cargo evacuation from the seaports especially for cargoes destined for the hinterlands and the inland countries.

On the roles of the Nigerian Customs, Nnadi noted that “The NCS is pivotal in ensuring the seamless evacuation of cargoes from seaports to the hinterland. It is in this regard that the Service recognize and license off dock terminals and inland container terminals as provided in Section 31 subsection 2-6 of the NCSA 2023. Other sections of the NCSA 2023 to the evacuation of cargoes to hinterland include Section 121sub sections 2-4  for the admission of goods into a warehouse, 122 subsections 1-6 for bonded terminals, Section 153 being the law guiding management.

Customs Operational Activities in the Movement of Cargo to the hinterland.

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1. Customs Clearance: NCS Officers inspect and verify cargoes to be transferred to the bonded terminals and hinterlands outside the mother port using the IM 8 import module. IM 4 module is deployed for cargo evacuated to bonded terminals under the control of the mother port while IM 5 module is deployed for cargo evacuated to the free trade zones.
2. These cargoes are evacuated by road or by barge through the waterways and sometimes by rail.
3. The cargo are escorted by officers who obtain landing certificate. Officers ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, collect duties and taxes, and facilitate the timely release of goods thereafter.
4. Other incentives introduced by NCS to ease evacuation cargoes include deployment of Fast Track and the Authorized Economic Operators (Section 108 of NCSA 2023) program, the introduction of pre-arrival assessment Report (PAAR) and the pre-release regime which has been has been effective in the facilitation of timely release of cargo for qualified traders.
5. Others are Risk Management through which the NCS employs techniques to identify and manage potential risks associated with cargoes. One of these is the recently launched World Customs Organization Time Release Study aimed at identifying bottlenecks in clearance process in line with Section 32 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023 and Article 7 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. This involves adopting modern trends like the Non-intrusive inspections Technology and Tracking shipments, Fast track and Authorized Economic Operator Programs which helps in streamlining the process and reducing delays.
6. Decongestion Efforts: By implementing streamlined procedures and expediting the clearance process using Inland Container Depots (ICDs), the NCS plays a crucial role in reducing port congestion, which in turn improves the overall efficiency of port operations.

Escort Services: Escort customs officers ensure the secure transit of goods from seaports to bonded terminals in the hinterland. They prevent theft and tampering, maintaining the integrity of the supply chain.

Dera Nnadi also explained the roles of other port stakeholders including Bonded Terminal Operators, Importers and Exporters, Shipping Companies, and Freight Forwarders and Logistics Providers amongst others.

Business Hilights reports that the paper in general examined the pivotal roles played by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in the efficient evacuation of cargoes from seaports to the hinterland. It highlights the benefits of decongesting seaports, the crucial function of escort customs officers in ensuring secure transit to bonded terminals, and the collaborative efforts required among terminal operators, stakeholders, and logistics partners to optimize the evacuation of cargo with the aim of decongesting Seaport and improve overall operational efficiency.