PortFlow - AI agent for fast smart port operations

PortFlow is a locally inspired solution built out of frustration with how slow and complicated cargo clearance is in Lagos ports. Anyone who has ever tried to clear a container in Apapa or Tin Can knows the stress: documents get lost, customs status is unclear, shipping updates are scattered across different systems, and a simple clearance process can drag for weeks or months. Businesses lose money, clearing agents get frustrated, and ordinary people suffer delays they can’t control. PortFlow uses IBM watsonx Orchestrate to fix this problem from the ground up. We built a digital clearing agent—powered by the Agent Development Kit (ADK)—that behaves like a real Nigerian clearing officer who understands the port workflow end-to-end. The agent can validate documents, check shipping status from NPA, calculate customs duty, schedule inspections, process payments (with confirmation), track container progress, and finally release it for pickup. All these actions are powered by tools we built and deployed directly into watsonx Orchestrate: Upload Bill of Lading, Validate Container, Check Customs Status, Pay Customs Duty, Check Shipping Status, Schedule Inspection, Release Container, and more. With these tools, the AI can actually perform tasks — not just answer questions. Users can talk to PortFlow through webchat or WhatsApp via Twilio, just like chatting with a real clearing agent. The system guides them step-by-step, using simple Nigerian English, explains port terms, logs every action, and ensures nothing moves without proper confirmation. By automating the clearance journey with AI agents, PortFlow helps reduce bottlenecks, cut unnecessary delays, improve transparency, and ultimately save businesses millions of naira in lost time and demurrage. It's a practical local solution powered by world-class technology — showing how AI can directly improve the way ports work in Nigeria and across Africa.