The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, said it has unveiled the Electronic Cargo Tracking System, a digital innovation aimed at enhancing national security, boosting revenue generation, and facilitating seamless trade across Nigeria’s ports.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Tunde Ayagbalo, disclosed this in a statement.
The pilot phase of the initiative was conducted using a container designated for the Kano/Jigawa Area Command on 5th November, 2025, marking the first practical deployment of the technology in real-time cargo monitoring,” the statement read in part.
Speaking during the launch, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, described the ECTS as a strategic innovation that enables real-time monitoring of cargo movement from the point of departure to the final destination.
So This Happened (EP 349) reviews: Lagos driver arrested for assaulting multiple women0:00 / 1:01
The system uses electronic seals and handheld devices to track containers, ensuring transparency, preventing tampering, and eliminating diversion of goods in transit,” he said.
Oshoba noted that Apapa Command is serving as the pilot stage for the nationwide rollout of the initiative, and the technology would drastically reduce the need for physical escorts, “As customs officers can now monitor cargo movement electronically.”
The CAC also commended the vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, describing him as a reform-driven administrator who has consistently championed automation and innovation.
He highlighted that the ECTS has already been implemented in several countries, and as the current Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation, the CGC has ensured that Nigeria adopts similar modern tools to improve its trade environment.
The Head of B’Odogwu Implementation at Apapa Command, Aondona Fanyam, also explained that before the container reaches Kano Command, it remains sealed and cannot be opened until proper authorisation is confirmed at the destination.
He said the ECTS provides three secure methods for unlocking a container, “Remotely through the central control system, locally via an authorised handheld device such as a mobile phone used by trained officers, or by using a physical unlocking card designed specifically for use at the destination.”
The combination of remote control, handheld verification, and a physical card ensures that only properly authorised personnel can release cargo, reinforcing cargo integrity and strengthening overall security and revenue protection,” Fanyam stated.
The Team Leader of the training Unit, Rosemary Ebele Wenceslas, a Superintendent of Customs, said the service has trained a total of 12 officers participating in the pilot phase of the ECTS.
The team comprises personnel drawn from the Rapid Response Unit of the Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, and the Enforcement Team of Apapa Area Command. The officers have undergone intensive training to ensure they are fully prepared to manage and operate the new tracking technology efficiently. All Standard Operating Procedures related to the ECTS have been clearly communicated to them, enabling smooth implementation of the initiative,” Wenceslas said.
Wenceslas noted that with the knowledge and technical capacity they have acquired, the officers are well-equipped and ready to deploy the devices effectively, ensuring that the pilot stage achieves its objectives of enhanced cargo monitoring, security, and trade facilitation.
The Apapa Area Command of the NCS operates from the port area of Apapa in Lagos and serves as one of the service’s most critical operational units.
Located at the country’s busiest seaport, it manages import and export activities for a large volume of Nigeria’s maritime trade and has been described as the “gateway to Nigeria’s economy” because of the concentrated flow of goods it handles.
The command operates under the leadership of a Customs Area Controller and falls within the broader structure of the NCS, whose remit includes revenue collection, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling enforcement.
In recent years, Apapa Command has recorded extraordinary revenue performance while also undertaking major trade-facilitation and anti-smuggling efforts.
