Tech Hardware Startup Cuts Port Delays by 70% with Itana Trade Support

Background

A fast-growing tech startup in the digital payments space was gearing up for a major market rollout across Nigeria. Their go-to-market plan relied on the timely delivery of high-value POS machines, tablets, and other IoT devices sourced from Asia. But they ran into a familiar problem: port delays at Apapa.

Containers sat idle. Customs processes were unclear. Launch timelines slipped. And investors were beginning to worry about mounting cash burn.

The Challenge

Every week of delay meant:

• •Idle sales teams across the country
• •Delayed partner onboarding
• •And worst of all, pressure on a limited funding runway

Even when the goods finally cleared, paying duties upfront on high-value equipment put an unexpected dent in their cash flow, making it harder to hire the talent they needed post-launch.

The Itana Solution

The startup turned to Itana Trade Support.

• Customs & Compliance

  Itana handled the end-to-end clearance process through Lekki Deep Sea Port, cutting through the typical bottlenecks they faced at Apapa.

• Fast-Track Logistics

  The goods were cleared 70% faster than their previous shipment.

• Duty Deferment

  Instead of locking up capital in import duties, the startup deferred payments, preserving runway when they needed it most.

The Result

With Itana's help:

• •They launched a full month ahead of schedule.
• •They avoided another round of emergency fundraising.
• •And they used the cash saved from deferred duties to hire two key ops and support roles, right when customer demand was picking up.