APMT Export Verification 2026: Good2Go Check & Gate-In Guide

Updated 28 September 2026 · Wigmore Trading, Lagos

In this guide:

• What APMT export verification is
• How to verify an export on Good2Go, step by step
• Export verification date, cut-offs and storage
• The full export process at Lagos ports in 2026
• What it costs to export a container from Apapa
• Common problems and how to fix them
• Avoiding delays and scams
• FAQ

What is APMT export verification?

APM Terminals Apapa runs the container terminal at Apapa, Lagos. The terminal describes itself as the biggest container terminal in West Africa, with an annual capacity of 1.2 million TEU. Every export container that enters the terminal has to be paid for and matched to a live booking on a vessel that is due. “Export verification” is how you, your freight forwarder or your haulier confirm both of those things before the truck leaves for the port.

APM Terminals provides two online tools for this:

Source: APM Terminals Apapa customer service and Good2Go pages, checked September 2026.

Older guides, including the earlier version of this page, described TERMView as the “export verification portal”. In practice the two now do different jobs. You use TERMView to pre-advise the export unit, raise the invoice and pay. You use Good2Go to confirm that payment and booking are both “green” before the truck moves.

How to verify an export on Good2Go (step by step)

1. Get your booking number from the shipping line. The booking confirmation from the carrier (or your forwarder) carries the booking number, vessel name and voyage. Search queries like “apmt export booking number” usually come from people who don’t have this yet. The terminal does not issue it. The shipping line does.
2. Pre-advise the export unit on TERMView. Log in, enter the container and booking details, and generate the invoice. APM Terminals says export charges are “invoiced directly to shippers”. The exceptions are stevedoring, re-nomination and empty-container pick-up charges, which are still invoiced to the shipping line.
3. Pay the terminal handling charge (THC). APM Terminals accepts payment by bank draft, POS, e-transfer or debit card through TERMView, the self-service kiosk at its customer service office, or a designated Zenith Bank branch. Keep the receipt.
4. Open Good2Go and check the container. Type the container number (for example ABCU1234567) into the THC field and press Verify or Enter. Paid on a green background means the THC is settled. Unpaid on red means it isn’t. The Good2Go status follows the payment status.
5. Check the booking. Enter the booking number in the Booking field and press Verify. YES (green) means the booking is active and the vessel’s arrival is inside the approved window. NO (red) means the “booking or vessel is not active, departed or outside approved window”.
6. Screenshot both results and send them to your haulier before the truck leaves the Lilypond export terminal or your warehouse. A green check before dispatch can save a wasted trip down the Apapa corridor.

APMT export verification date, cut-offs and storage

People who search for the “APMT export verification date” usually want to know when the booking will show YES. That depends on the vessel. Good2Go only returns YES when the vessel’s arrival falls inside the terminal’s approved window, so a booking for a ship that is still weeks away can show NO even when every document is correct.

Source: APM Terminals Apapa, “Procedures” page, checked September 2026. Confirm current tariffs on TERMView before paying.

APM Terminals Apapa also says it is launching 24-hour barge operations and increasing rail evacuation in Q4 2026 (news dated 14 September 2026). If your forwarder can move boxes by barge or rail, ask whether that helps you meet the 72-hour cut-off.

The full export process at Lagos ports in 2026

Good2Go is the last check before gate-in. By then the container has already been through several steps with other agencies. The Nigeria Trade Information Portal (NTIP) sets out the official sequence. Several steps can run at the same time.

1. Register as an exporter

• Incorporate with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
• Get a Tax Identification Number from the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
• Open an export domiciliary account with your bank.
• Register with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for an exporter’s certificate.
• Register on the National Single Window.

2. Classify the goods

Confirm the HS code and check that the product is not restricted or prohibited for export. Wigmore’s Nigeria export cost calculator flags whether 30+ common commodities (cocoa, sesame, cashew, ginger and others) are exportable, restricted or prohibited, and lists the documents each one needs.

3. Open Form NXP on TRMS

Commercial exports need a Form NXP (Nigerian Export Proceeds form), opened through your bank on the CBN’s Trade Monitoring System (TRMS). Shipments where no payment is expected, such as samples, gifts or goods going for repair, use Form NCX. Under the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026, NXP processing is free of charge. Proceeds must be repatriated to the export domiciliary account where the NXP was opened within 90 days of the bill of lading date for non-oil exports (180 days for oil and gas). A 1% charge applies to amounts not repatriated in time.

4. Get product permits

Depending on the product, you apply through the National Single Window for approvals from NAFDAC, SON, the Quarantine Service, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development or others. Food and agro exports typically also need a certificate of origin, fumigation and phytosanitary certificates.

5. Stuffing, inspection and Customs at the export terminal

In Lagos, export containers are processed by the Nigeria Customs Service Lilypond Export Command before they move to Apapa, Tin Can Island, PTML or Lekki. Government agencies inspect and approve the goods during stuffing, and Customs documents are submitted through the B’odogwu clearance platform for risk assessment. You also pay the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) levy of 0.5% of FOB value at this stage.

The command is busy. It reported $792.57 million of exports and 5,510 containers processed in Q2 2026, up from 3,732 containers a year earlier. Queues and traffic between Lilypond and the terminals are a real cause of missed cut-offs, so book stuffing early.

6. Transfer, verify and gate in at APM Terminals

Pre-advise on TERMView, pay the THC, confirm Paid and YES on Good2Go, then truck (or barge) the container to Apapa inside the window.

7. After sailing

The carrier issues the bill of lading. Send the shipping documents to your bank, make sure the proceeds land within the 90-day window, and keep records for any post-clearance audit.

What it costs to export a container from Apapa in 2026

Nairametrics published a cost breakdown in May 2026 for shipping a container out of Apapa. Treat these as indicative ranges. Your forwarder’s quote, the product and the destination will change the final figure.

Sources: Nairametrics (31 May 2026); CBN FX Manual 2026 via Mondaq (June 2026). Freight rates change weekly.

Worked example: one 20ft container of sesame to Europe, FOB $30,000

• NESS levy: 0.5% × $30,000 = $150, paid in naira at the prevailing rate.
• Port-side naira costs (forwarding + THC + stuffing + inspection + certificates, using the ranges above): about ₦555,000 to ₦710,000.
• Plus haulage to the export terminal, ocean freight of about €1,000–€2,000, and any ETA-delay storage (₦450 per day for a 20ft).

To run your own numbers, use the export cost calculator. The container load calculator tells you how many bags or cartons fit in a 20ft or 40ft container, and the free commercial invoice generator helps you produce a clean invoice that matches your NXP.

Good2Go shows red or NO: common problems and fixes

APM Terminals Apapa customer service: Monday–Friday 7:00–19:00, Saturday 9:00–16:00, Sunday 12:00–16:00. Phone +234 (0) 809 762 7965 or +234 (0) 803 976 3068. Email APPAPMTCTO@apmterminals.com. These are the contacts listed on the APM Terminals website in September 2026. Always check them there before you share documents with anyone.

How to avoid delays and scams

• Only use apmterminals.com addresses. Good2Go and TERMView are on apmterminals.com subdomains. Nobody needs your TERMView password to “verify” an export for you.
• Never pay THC into a personal account. APM Terminals invoices shippers directly and takes payment through TERMView, its customer-service kiosk or designated Zenith Bank branches.
• Match every document. The container number, booking number, NXP, commercial invoice and packing list must agree. Most red flags at inspection come from small mismatches.
• Get approvals before stuffing. NAFDAC, quarantine and other permits take time. Don’t book a vessel until you know they’re in hand.
• Vet buyers as well as agents. A shipment that sails but isn’t paid for still counts against your 90-day repatriation clock.
• Check who you’re dealing with. Fraudsters also pose as trading companies. Wigmore’s official channels are listed on our safety page.

Export checklist before you book the truck

1. NEPC certificate, TIN and domiciliary account in place
2. Form NXP opened on TRMS and matching the commercial invoice
3. Product permits and certificates (origin, phytosanitary, fumigation, NAFDAC where needed)
4. Booking confirmation with vessel ETA from the shipping line
5. Export processing, inspection and NESS payment done at the export terminal
6. Export unit pre-advised and THC paid on TERMView
7. Good2Go shows Paid and YES, with at least 72 hours to vessel arrival

How Wigmore Trading can help

Wigmore Trading has been a Lagos-based trader and distributor since 2013. It runs 5 warehouses and its own trucks, and trades agri-commodities such as cocoa, cashew, sesame, ginger and shea butter through its commodities desk. For exporters, we can help with:

• Haulage and staging: moving cargo to the export terminal on time through our transportation and logistics service.
• Free zone options: if you process or consolidate before export, look at our free zone logistics service.
• Sourcing products to export: our guide to exporting from Aba manufacturers covers supplier checks and quality control, and our list of Nigeria’s top agricultural products shows what sells abroad.
• Imports going the other way: if you also bring in raw materials or packaging, our customs pre-clearance review estimates duties and flags document gaps before you ship.

Frequently asked questions

What is APMT export verification?

It is APM Terminals Apapa’s check that an export container has paid terminal handling charges and holds a valid booking on a vessel inside the approved window. You run it on the Good2Go page. A container needs both checks green to gate in.

What is Good2Go on APMT?

Good2Go is the export verification page at apapatrack.apmterminals.com/good2go. It shows Paid or Unpaid for a container number and YES or NO for a booking number. You don’t need a login.

Where do I get an APMT export booking number?

From the shipping line, directly or through your freight forwarder, when you book space on a vessel. APM Terminals uses the number to check your booking but does not issue it.

Why does my booking show NO when everything is paid?

Usually the vessel is outside the approved window (too far away, or already departed), or the line has amended or cancelled the booking. Check the ETA with the shipping line and re-check on Good2Go closer to the date.

How many days before the vessel must my container be at APMT Apapa?

APM Terminals says payment should be finalised and the container gated in 72 hours before the outbound vessel arrives. Build in extra time for export processing at Lilypond and traffic.

Is there an APMT export verification app?

APM Terminals Apapa does not list a dedicated app for this. Its tools are web portals (Good2Go and TERMView) that work in a mobile browser.

Do I need Form NXP to export from Nigeria?

Yes, for commercial exports. Your bank opens it on the CBN’s TRMS. Non-commercial shipments such as samples and gifts use Form NCX. Under the 2026 FX Manual, non-oil export proceeds must be repatriated within 90 days of the bill of lading date.

How much does it cost to export a 20ft container from Apapa?

Nairametrics’ May 2026 ranges put forwarding, THC, stuffing, inspection and certificates at roughly ₦555,000–₦710,000 combined. On top of that come the 0.5% NESS levy, haulage and ocean freight (about €1,000–€2,000 to the UK/EU for a 20ft).

Related guides

• What it costs to export Nigerian produce (calculator)
• Top 10 agricultural products in Nigeria and their uses
• Mineral resources in Nigeria and their uses
• How to export from Aba manufacturers

Sources: APM Terminals Apapa – TERMView/Export Verification Portal (Sep 2026); APM Terminals Apapa – Good2Go (Sep 2026); APM Terminals Apapa – Procedures (Sep 2026); APM Terminals Apapa (Sep 2026); Nigeria Trade Information Portal – Export procedures (2026); Nairametrics (May 2026); Mondaq – CBN FX Manual 2026 (Jun 2026); PRNigeria – Lilypond Customs Q2 2026 (Aug 2026). Fees and procedures are indicative and change often. Confirm with APM Terminals, your bank and your shipping line before paying.