By Martha Agas
A trade expert, Mr Okey Ibeke, has linked the boost in commercial activities in the South-East region to reforms in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) driven by Comptroller-General (C-G) Bashir Adeniyi.
Ibeke told newsmen on Monday in Abuja, that with the activation of the Onitsha River Port and the expansion of bonded terminals across the region, there has been a significant reduction in bottlenecks.
The Principal Consultant, International Trade Advisory Services Ltd said that the initiative had eased trade challenges for importers and manufacturers.
“The operational activation of Onitsha River Port as a customs cargo destination is changing that narrative (bottlenecks) by allowing containers and bulk cargo to move through River Niger directly to Anambra State.
“By granting operational licences, posting officers and enabling full customs procedures at Onitsha, the NCS has shortened supply chains for South-East businesses, reduced demurrage and lowered the risks associated with long-haul trucking,” he said.
Ibeke said the C-G’s administration since June 2023 had pursued deliberate policies aimed at repositioning the service from a traditional revenue-collection agency to a broader trade-facilitation institution.
He said that the strategy, anchored on consolidation, collaboration and innovation, had not only boosted revenue and anti-smuggling operations but was also addressing barriers that previously constrained legitimate commercial activities especially in the hinterlands.
“South-East traders and manufacturers particularly in Aba, Nnewi, Onitsha, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo have historically suffered high costs and long delays.
“This was because imports had to be cleared in Lagos or Port Harcourt before enduring difficult road transportation to their final destinations,” he said.
He explained that the operational activation of Onitsha River Port as a Customs cargo destination was changing that narrative by allowing containers and bulk cargo to move through River Niger directly to Anambra.
He added that manufacturers in Nnewi, traders in Onitsha Main Market and industrial operators in Aba now have improved access to cargo closer to their commercial bases, reducing logistics costs and accelerating turnaround time.
According to Ibeke, the river port initiative is being reinforced by customs’ aggressive licensing of bonded warehouses and terminals across Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo states.
He explained the bonded terminals customs have approved facilities where imported goods could be transferred, stored and cleared closer to their markets, thereby decongesting seaports and domesticating compliance.
He said the reforms were already delivering economic benefits to key industrial and commercial clusters in the region, including Aba’s garment and leather hubs, Nnewi’s automotive manufacturing base and Onitsha’s major trading networks.
He added that the reforms were creating jobs in the banking sector, logistics, insurance and freight services, including businesses around the emerging inland trade corridors.
Ibeke noted that the policy could further strengthen export growth by enabling agro-processors and manufacturers in the South-East to pool cargo through bonded terminals and transport it via inland waterways to coastal ports.
He, however, noted that challenges such as inadequate dredging of the River Niger, limited barge capacity and poor road connectivity around Onitsha must be addressed for sustained success.
The expert also called for stronger coordination among the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, Nigerian Ports Authority and state governments to maximise the benefits of the initiative.
“Trade facilitation is not just about digitisation, it is about removing physical and structural bottlenecks that increase the cost of commerce,” he said.(NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
