The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has unveiled a Green Channel initiative at the Lekki Deep Sea Port aimed at speeding up cargo clearance and reducing delays.

The launch took place on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, and forms part of Customs’ broader push to modernise port operations and improve trade efficiency.

What is the Green Channel?

The Green Channel is a dedicated corridor designed to allow faster movement of containers from vessels to a controlled location where importers can access them more easily.

According to Customs, the system also tracks containers as they move from ship to storage point.

“This particular intervention helps to move containers right from the vessel into a dedicated place where customers can have access. And between the time the container moves from the vessel to this particular place, it is tracked,” Mr Adeniyi said.

He added that the initiative reduces bureaucratic bottlenecks and supports quicker turnaround for businesses.

Why it matters

Nigeria’s ports have faced criticism over congestion, multiple checks and long cargo dwell times.

Delays at ports often translate into higher costs for importers, which can ultimately affect the price of goods for consumers.

Adeniyi said the Green Channel is built on trust and compliance between Customs and port users.

“What we have done today is a product of the kind of trust that we have invested in our stakeholders and the confidence that we also have in them, that they would do this in the spirit of compliance and trade facilitation,” he said.

Customs believes the initiative could reduce the time and cost of doing business, while also improving revenue collection.

Government perspective

The Federal Government has repeatedly emphasised trade facilitation as part of its economic diversification strategy.

By reducing delays at ports, authorities hope to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness and attract more investment into logistics and manufacturing.

Customs says the Green Channel aligns with those objectives by combining technology with stakeholder cooperation.

What’s next?

Customs officials say the performance of the Green Channel at Lekki will be monitored closely.

If successful, similar models could be introduced at other major ports across the country.

For importers and clearing agents, the real test will be whether cargo clearance times fall in the coming months.

Fresh graduates from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and other tertiary institutions have won cash grants of up to N800,000 in the latest edition of Unity Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge.

The winners emerged during business pitch sessions held at Batch C, Stream 2 of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps across 10 states.

The competition forms part of Unity Bank’s flagship Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, designed to help corps members turn business ideas into viable ventures.

Who won what?

At the Lagos NYSC Orientation Camp, Awolumate Fawaz Babatunde, a Civil Engineering graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, clinched the N800,000 grand prize after pitching a fashion design business.

Ugwoke Daniel Ifechukwu, a graduate of UNN, finished as first runner-up, receiving N500,000.

In Rivers State, Abdur-Razaq Sayfullah Adebola, an OAU graduate, topped the competition at the Nonwa Gbam Tai camp with a footwear-making business proposal.

Olatunde Esther Funmilayo of Olabisi Onabanjo University won in Kwara State after presenting a deodorant production and services business plan.

Additional winners emerged from Abuja, Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Plateau, Kaduna, and Delta States.

Why It Matters

Nigeria faces rising youth unemployment and shrinking white-collar job opportunities.

For many graduates, the NYSC year is increasingly becoming a transition period into entrepreneurship rather than salaried employment.

Unity Bank says the programme is designed to close the funding gap young entrepreneurs often face at the start of their careers.

Speaking on the initiative, Mrs Adenike Abimbola, Divisional Head, Retail, SME & E-Business at Unity Bank Plc, said:

“The Corpreneurship Challenge has been driven by our commitment to boosting entrepreneurship among young people, especially fresh graduates. At Unity Bank, we recognise that many young Nigerians possess viable business ideas but lack the initial capital and support to bring them to life. The Corpreneurship Challenge was designed to bridge that gap by providing financial backing, mentorship, and confidence to fresh graduates at a critical stage of their lives.”

She added:

“What we see every edition is innovation, resilience, and a strong desire among young graduates to create value and jobs. By supporting them early, we are not only helping individuals, but also contributing to the growth of the SME ecosystem and the broader economy.”

The Corpreneurship Challenge is delivered in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative.

Since its inception, the programme has supported 638 young entrepreneurs nationwide, with cumulative grants reportedly reaching up to N300 million.

Government & Policy Context

The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s push to promote self-employment among graduates.

With public sector hiring slowing and private sector absorption limited, entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as a pathway to economic stability and job creation.

What’s Next?

Unity Bank says it plans to expand the reach of the Corpreneurship Challenge across more NYSC camps.

The bank says the initiative forms part of its broader strategy to drive financial inclusion, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.

For many corps members, the next step will be translating pitch ideas into real businesses in competitive markets.

Senior marketing executives of Union Bank of Nigeria have been inducted as Registered Advertising Practitioners by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

The induction ceremony took place at Stallion Plaza, Marina, Lagos.

The event marks a formal recognition of the bank’s senior brand and marketing professionals under Nigeria’s advertising regulatory framework.

Why It Matters

ARCON is Nigeria’s statutory regulator for advertising and marketing communications.

The body ensures that practitioners meet professional, ethical and regulatory standards.

For financial institutions like Union Bank, compliance with advertising regulations is increasingly important as digital marketing expands and consumer protection concerns grow.

The Induction Ceremony

Those inducted include Union Bank’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Mrs Olufunmilola Aluko.

Also present were the Director-General of ARCON, Dr Olalekan Olumuyiwa Fadolapo, and ARCON’s Director of Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement, Mrs Emme Akande.

Other Union Bank executives inducted include Alvin Agorom, Head of Strategic Brand Management; Ejiebhen Egbomondion, Head of Product Marketing; and Olufisayo Adelekun, Head of Strategic Communications and Media.

The ceremony formally registers them as licensed practitioners under Nigerian law.

ARCON’s Expanding Role

ARCON has in recent years intensified enforcement of advertising regulations, including sanctioning unregistered practitioners and non-compliant campaigns.

The regulator says its goal is to sanitise the industry and protect consumers from misleading or unethical advertising.

What’s Next?

ARCON is expected to continue expanding registration and enforcement across industries.

For Union Bank, the induction signals a commitment to aligning its brand communication strategy with regulatory standards.