The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has urged government agencies to harmonise digital trade platforms as implementation of the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures begins nationwide.
The Centre made the call in its July Policy and Industry Enlightenment Bulletin issued by its Head of Research, Mr Eugene Nweke on Thursday in Abuja.
The centre reviewed three key developments in Nigeria’s maritime and trade ecosystem, including the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Movement Code for empty containers and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) border modernisation benchmarking mission with Benin Republic and Cameroon.
This is alongside the implementation of 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures.
Nweke emphasised that the agencies should eliminate duplicative cargo tracking systems, adopt a unified cargo identity and ensure transparent disclosure of technology-related service charges.
He urged seamless integration of all trade platforms with the National Single Window (NSW) and the Port Community System through continuous stakeholder consultation.
According to him, institutional coordination, policy harmonisation, cost transparency and interoperability will determine the success of ongoing digital reforms in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
He urged importers, exporters, manufacturers and licenced customs agents to review revised tariff schedules, verify applicable Harmonised System (HS) codes, reassess customs valuation implications and update costing models to align with the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures.
According to him, failure to align declarations with the revised tariff provisions can expose traders to delays, demand notices, post-clearance audit adjustments and unnecessary financial liabilities.
He commended the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) for participating in a regional border modernisation benchmarking mission involving Benin Republic and Cameroon.
The exercise, Nweke said, could improve border procedures, strengthen inter-agency cooperation, reduce cargo clearance delays and enhance Nigeria’s readiness for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The exercise demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to coordinated border management, intelligence-driven customs administration and regional trade integration,” he said.
He said Freight forwarders, customs brokers and cross-border traders should align their operational procedures with emerging regional customs standards, greater automation and enhanced compliance requirements.
He also commended the Nigerian Ports Authority’s Movement Code for empty container management, describing it as a strategic intervention to improve truck scheduling, enhance cargo traceability and reduce congestion particularly around the Lagos Port corridors.
He, however, stressed the need for Federal Government or relevant authorities to state clearly whether compliance would attract additional charges, the pricing framework, collection mechanism and who would bear such costs.
“These issues are critical, particularly at a time when government is pursuing policies aimed at reducing the cost of doing business.
“Beyond the issue of cost, SEREC considers it imperative that the Movement Code should not evolve into another isolated cargo monitoring platform,” he said.
SEREC warned that multiple cargo monitoring platforms could result in repetitive data submissions, overlapping compliance procedures and additional costs for port users.
“Without deliberate institutional harmonisation, port users may eventually contend with multiple cargo identification systems, repetitive data submissions, overlapping compliance procedures and multiple service charges for the same cargo movement,” he said.
The centre, he said, was recommending the adoption of a single interoperable cargo movement architecture to enable one cargo identity and one electronic data submission across authorised government agencies.
While the reforms introduced by the NPA and the NCS were commendable, he said their ultimate success would depend on institutional coordination, policy harmonisation, cost transparency and seamless interoperability among all government trade platforms.
