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By Steve Agbota
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mikky Excellency Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila, has expressed optimism that the deployment of the National Single Window will significantly reduce corruption and human interface at Nigerian ports when it becomes operational.
Mukaila, a former National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), spoke in an interview with Daily Sun, where he described the initiative as a game-changer capable of transforming port operations and improving efficiency across the maritime sector.
According to him, corruption at the ports thrives largely on physical contact and manual processes, which the single window technology is expected to eliminate when fully launched in 2026.
“We hope, and we are about to welcome a single window. And I hope it’s going to help us reduce corruption. Because human contact is still a big issue,” he said.
Mukaila lamented that many port transactions still require physical presence, creating room for delays and unethical practices. “We see on our shipping line that if you don’t go to them, you don’t get an invoice. We still have terminals that, if you don’t go there physically, you cannot pick or do a transaction with them,” he noted.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritise full digitalisation of port processes, including online renewal systems, to enable Nigeria’s ports to compete effectively with their counterparts globally.
“So, we need online renewal, infrastructural renewal, and government willpower to invest heavily to renew the decayed, abandoned infrastructure for almost 60 years. So we need to do much. I hope that the port will be less corrupt,” Mukaila said.
Reiterating his confidence in the single window initiative, he stressed that seamless operations would become the norm once all stakeholders are connected on a single digital platform.
“I can’t wait to welcome the single window regime so that everyone can be on the same page. When the container arrives, scan it. Let everybody else know what is in the container,” he added.
Mukaila also called for stronger synergy among Customs and other government agencies operating at the ports, warning that overlapping functions and poor coordination remain counterproductive.
“Every government, regulatory agency is regulating particular items. It’s worrisome to de-simulate. Customs should know that it’s no more about revenue,” he said.
He emphasised that globally, Customs administrations are shifting focus from revenue generation to security, noting growing concerns about the influx of illegal arms.
“Globally, Customs are now more in tune with security aspects. There are guns everywhere. How do they come in? So the government needs to invest heavily in security architecture,” Mukaila stressed.
According to him, Customs must recognise their critical role as the last line of defence. “Importantly, they are the last order and they need to be security conscious rather than breaking targets. It is not about making money, it is about securing the environment,” he noted.
