By Sandra Chukwunyere
Access Bank Plc has confirmed the restoration of its Customs transaction services following a temporary disruption that affected clearing agents and importers at Lagos ports earlier this week.
Licensed Customs agents had expressed frustration on Tuesday, noting that the downtime left cargoes trapped at the ports while demurrage charges continued to accrue.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the bank explained that the disruption occurred between November 10 and 12, 2025, due to a connectivity issue between Access Bank’s network and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) system. The glitch temporarily hindered the processing of payments and related transactions via the ACCESS PAY (B’ODOGWU) platform.
“The issue was fully resolved yesterday, November 12, 2025, and normal service operations have since been completely restored. Customers can now process Customs-related payments and transactions seamlessly through Access Bank channels,” the statement read.
The bank expressed regret over the inconvenience caused, acknowledging that the downtime led to delays and concerns among customers, particularly regarding demurrage charges.
Access Bank assured stakeholders that proactive measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence, reiterating its commitment to service reliability and customer satisfaction.
“Access Bank appreciates the patience and understanding of its customers during the period of disruption and thanks them for their continued trust and partnership,” the statement concluded.
The restoration of services is expected to ease the backlog of cargo clearance at Lagos ports and reassure stakeholders of the bank’s role in supporting trade facilitation.
