Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS), a digital innovation aimed at enhancing national security, boosting revenue generation, and facilitating seamless trade across Nigeria’s ports.
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 Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, who spoke during the launch at the Apapa Port, described the ECTS as a strategic innovation that would faciltate real-time monitoring of cargo movement from the point of departure to the final destination.
He explained that the system uses electronic seals and handheld devices to track containers, ensuring transparency, preventing tampering, and eliminating diversion of goods in transit.
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The Comptroller 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.
Oshoba 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.
According to him, the ECTS has already been implemented in several countries, and as the current Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO), the CGC has ensured that Nigeria adopts similar modern tools to improve its trade environment.
In his remarks, the Head of B’Odogwu Implementation at Apapa Command, Deputy Comptroller Aondona Fanyam, also recalled that before the container reaches Kano Command, it remained sealed and cannot be opened until proper authorisation is confirmed at the destination.
He said the ECTS provided three secure methods for unlocking a container, namely 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 Customs officer clarified that these layered access options were part of the system’s built in safeguards to prevent unauthorised tampering or diversion during transit, adding that 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.
The Team Leader of the training unit of the Command, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Rosemary Wenceslas, disclosed that the Service had trained 12 officers participating in the pilot phase of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS), adding that the team comprises personnel drawn from the Rapid Response Unit of the Federal Operations Unit Zone A Ikeja (FOU) and the Enforcement Team of Apapa Area Command.
According to her, the officers have undergone intensive training to ensure they are fully prepared to manage and operate the new tracking technology efficiently as all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to the ECTS have been clearly communicated to them, enabling smooth implementation of the initiative.
Wenceslas maintained 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.
