The Nigeria Customs Service has launched the Electronic Cargo Tracking System at the Port & Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Area Command as part of its nationwide modernisation drive. Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, Controller of the PTML command, announced the deployment during a Sensitisation Workshop held at the PTML Conference Hall. PTML is the second pilot site for the system following its successful implementation at Apapa Area Command. The move aims to replace the long-standing practice of physical escort of cargo to bonded terminals, Free Trade Zones, and between commands—a method described as unsustainable due to rising trade volumes, delays, and manpower strain.
The Electronic Cargo Tracking System enables real-time GPS monitoring of cargo from origin to destination, with alerts for route deviations, seal tampering, or unauthorised stops. It is expected to eliminate cargo diversion and leakage, improve revenue assurance through accurate movement data, and allow officers to focus on core customs duties rather than escort duties. Stakeholders, including licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, and terminal operators, attended the workshop. They were informed that the system would reduce demurrage costs, speed up clearance and delivery, and increase transparency and security for consignments under customs control. Miko credited the initiative to the reform agenda of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. The launch event concluded with the flagging off of a tracked cargo consignment bound for Don climax Bonded warehouse.
The shift from physical escorts to electronic tracking at PTML suggests a recognition that old methods can no longer cope with current trade volumes. If the system works as described, customs officers and logistics operators may finally escape the bottlenecks that have long inflated transit times and costs. The real test will be whether the technology functions reliably outside Apapa and PTML.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
