By: Manoah Kikekon
LAGOS, NIGERIA — In a strategic move to optimize operations at Nigeria’s premier Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) port, the newly appointed Acting Customs Area Controller of the Port & Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, has called for deep collaborative reforms with terminal operators and industry stakeholders.
During his inaugural operational visit to the Grimaldi/PTML Terminal in Lagos on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, DC Miko prioritized trade facilitation, enhanced security, and the collective push to surpass existing revenue targets.
The PTML Command currently sets the benchmark for Nigerian port efficiency with its unprecedented two-hour cargo clearance window for compliant RoRo imports. However, DC Miko challenged operators to leverage technological innovations and streamlined workflows to reduce this window even further.
“PTML Command holds the record as the Command with a two-hour cargo clearance time for compliant RoRo imports. As a Service, we can do even better and further shorten that time without compromising our integrity. This will also translate into more efficient management of your terminal space,” Miko stated.
A concise breakdown of the administration's primary operational objectives highlighted during the meeting demonstrates this forward-looking strategy: Further reduce the current 2-hour clearance record for compliant importers.
Accelerate cargo exit to maximize physical yard capacity for incoming vessels. Maintain an inclusive, open-door policy centered on stakeholder feedback. Deepen collaboration with sister security agencies and freight forwarding associations.
Emphasizing that his administration will favor collaboration over rigidity, the Acting Customs Area Controller assured the maritime community of a participatory approach to resolving operational bottlenecks.
“I am here to listen. Your insights, expertise, and perspectives are vital to our success. I look forward to engaging with you to align our efforts for mutual growth. Whatever we have achieved together in the past can, and will be, surpassed,” DC Miko added.
Responding to the Customs boss, the General Manager of PTML, Tunde Keshinro, pledged the terminal's unwavering support to help the Nigeria Customs Service achieve its mandate. He acknowledged the long-standing positive relationship between the terminal's operators and the command.
“You have been a positive influence on the business fortunes of Grimaldi as a group. In whatever way, you have been supportive of everything we have done, and on that note, I am quite positive that whatever the challenge, if we have a good understanding, we can cross the grey areas,” Keshinro remarked.
To ensure absolute operational alignment across the port ecosystem, DC Miko extended his engagement to key heads of sister security agencies. He also held talks with critical logistics trade bodies, including:
The African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON)
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)
By engaging both terminal executives and grassroots freight forwarders, the PTML Command signals its readiness to sustain recent trade facilitation gains, tighten border integrity, and drive robust revenue performance for the Federal Government through the remainder of 2026.