Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The much-anticipated Time Release Study (TRS) for Tincan Island Port is nearing completion and is expected to be unveiled to the international trade community this September, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
This announcement was made by Comptroller Dera Nnadi, Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service at Tincan Island Port, during a press briefing in Apapa on Friday.
The TRS, launched with the assistance of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in February 2024, aims to determine the time it takes to clear cargo at the port. Nnadi, speaking at the headquarters of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), shared that the study faced several challenges, particularly regarding the engagement of port users.
“We had challenges in carrying out the Time Release Study and the biggest challenge was apathy on the side of port users. The port is a very dynamic environment and people are always ìn a hurry to clear their goods. So, it is extremely difficult to have them respind to questionnaires.
“But we had to be very creative to get the responses of the importers. We had to organise meetings both physical and on Zoom in other to get the importers and clearing agents involvement in the study.
“We were given a target of 600 respondents but we had to increase the number to 1,000 because Nigeria is a big country. We needed to ensure that we are able to cover an extensive sample large enough to fairly represent the population of the international trade community in Nigeria.”
Nnadi explained that Tincan Port was selected for the TRS due to known delays in cargo release. He noted that significant improvements have been observed since clearing the port access roads and reactivating night operations at the port. The TRS involves all port agencies and captains of industry within the National Trade Facilitation Committee, aiming to reduce the cargo release time and improve turnaround times significantly.
The WCO Time Release Study is an internationally recognized tool designed to measure the actual time required for the release and clearance of goods, identifying bottlenecks in the trade flow process to enhance border procedure efficiency. The TRS is referenced in Article 7.6 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and is used by members for strategic planning and performance measurement.
This is not the first TRS undertaken at Nigerian trade borders. A similar study in 2010, facilitated by the USAID MARKETS Project, focused on Apapa Port and Seme Border, resulting in approximately 20 recommendations for improvements. However, a second attempt in 2018 was unsuccessful due to inadequate collaboration among agencies.
At the launch of the current TRS at Tincan Port in February, Customs Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi highlighted the progress made since previous attempts, including the implementation of paperless clearance and advancements in the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs.
The new Customs Act now includes provisions for penalties to deter non-compliance, aligning Nigeria with global customs practices to promote international trade growth.
“Today’s exercise builds on the lessons learned from both the 2010 and 2018 attempts. We have made significant progress since then, including the implementation of paperless clearance and advancements in our AEO programmes.
“Provisions under the new Customs Act now speak to the imposition of penalties to deter non-compliance. Today, we are joining other Customs Administrations in the world that have embraced the tools developed by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) to promote the growth of international trade.