Stakeholders across Nigeria’s import and export value chain have thrown their weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s National Single Window (NSW) initiative, describing it as a transformative project that could reduce the country’s logistics and supply chain costs by up to 30 per cent.
The endorsement came at a high-level stakeholders’ engagement forum jointly organised by the National Single Window Secretariat and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos on Thursday.
The forum brought together key players from government agencies, freight forwarding associations, private sector operators, and trade regulatory bodies to deliberate on strategies for a seamless rollout of the NSW platform.
Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Igwe, described the initiative as a potential game-changer that would transform Nigeria’s trade environment by cutting red tape, boosting efficiency, and enhancing competitiveness.
Igwe said studies had shown that the full implementation of the NSW could reduce logistics costs by 25 to 30 per cent, thereby improving Nigeria’s attractiveness to investors and positioning the country among Africa’s leading trade hubs.
He added that digitising and integrating trade-related processes would enhance transparency, reduce duplication of documentation, and strengthen Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Nigeria is at a critical juncture. Our businesses continue to grapple with high logistics costs, delays, and inefficiencies. The National Single Window offers a proven solution, as demonstrated in Singapore, South Korea, and Rwanda,” Igwe said.
Director of the National Single Window Project, Mr. Tola Fakolade, described the initiative as a digital one-stop platform that allows traders, shipping lines, banks, and government agencies to process all trade documentation through a single, secure interface.
According to him, the system will automate approvals, licences, and inspections, all tracked in real time to promote transparency and accountability.
“With the NSW, importers and exporters will only process documents once, and all relevant agencies will recognise them immediately. This will eliminate duplication and corruption-prone bottlenecks,” Fakolade explained.
He revealed that the platform aims for 24-hour cargo clearance, with technology expected to reduce physical examinations by up to 90 per cent, while offering real-time data analytics for monitoring trade flows and compliance.
Fakolade added that the project would consolidate all existing cargo clearance platforms into a unified, efficient system that logs all transactions and ensures visibility and accountability across agencies.
Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone ‘A’, Muhammed Babadede, said the NSW represented more than just a technological innovation—it was a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s cross-border trade management.
Babadede announced that the official launch of the platform was scheduled for March 2026, describing it as a milestone that would end years of inefficiency and repetitive documentation.
“For too long, our traders have battled multiple agencies and redundant paperwork. This reform will finally bring efficiency and speed to Nigerian trade operations,” he said.
He noted that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, had been laying the groundwork for the NSW through the introduction of trade facilitation tools such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, Advance Ruling System, and the Time Release Study (TRS).
President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Ibrahim Jani, represented by Mr. Idris Yahya, reaffirmed the private sector’s commitment to supporting the initiative.
“Collaboration among stakeholders remains key to creating a conducive environment for trade,” Jani said, commending Customs for its reform-driven leadership.
Vice Chairman of the Port Consultative Council of Nigeria (PCCN), Chief Jean-Chiazor Anishere (SAN), hailed the Customs Service for its consistency in implementing trade facilitation measures, describing the forum as “a major leap toward a transparent, efficient, and globally competitive trade ecosystem.”
Other participants, including industry expert Mr. Dili Ari, applauded the NCS for embracing digital transformation, saying the NSW would align Nigeria’s trade processes with international best practices and usher in a new era of efficiency and growth.
The NSW stakeholders’ forum attracted representatives from airline operators, SMEs, importers, exporters, shipping companies, banks, and terminal operators, among others.