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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified preparations for the operational take-off of its newly installed FS6000 cargo scanning machine at APM Terminals, Apapa, as the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT, DCG Oluyomi Adebakin, undertook a working inspection of the facility on Monday.
The visit forms part of final arrangements ahead of the deployment of the scanners, which have successfully completed test runs and simulation exercises, reinforcing the Service’s push for paperless cargo clearance, enhanced trade facilitation and improved operational efficiency.
Inspecting the scanning site at the jetty side of APM Terminals, DCG Adebakin said the assessment was aimed at ensuring adequate preparedness for a smooth transition to full-scale scanning operations in line with international best practices.
She disclosed that the Service, working jointly with APM Terminals and the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), has achieved about 80 per cent readiness for deployment, noting that the remaining critical components would be completed before commissioning.
According to her, system analysis and scanning examinations carried out so far indicate that the equipment is fit for deployment and capable of supporting a seamless cargo examination process once fully operational.
DCG Adebakin assured port users that the introduction of non-intrusive inspection would significantly improve efficiency at the port, reduce cargo dwell time and demurrage, and enhance ease of doing business while maintaining regulatory compliance.
She added that the FS6000 scanner has a throughput capacity of approximately 200 containers per hour, effectively bringing an end to the era of manual and disruptive cargo examinations.
The inspection followed the successful completion of a final simulation exercise on November 6, 2025, supervised by the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba. The exercise validated the real-time synchronisation of scanned images with electronic cargo declarations.
Comptroller Oshoba reaffirmed the Apapa Command’s commitment to supporting Customs’ ICT-driven reforms and working closely with stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to full scanner-based cargo examination at the nation’s busiest port.
