By Oluyinka Onigbinde
In a major relief for importers and freight operators, the Federal Government has approved a waiver of demurrage charges on over 10,000 containers affected by delays arising from the rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) platform.
The directive was issued by the Executive Chairman of the NRS, Zaccheus Adedeji, during a joint visit by key stakeholders including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC)—to the National Single Window office in Lagos.
Adedeji said the decision was taken to cushion the financial impact on traders grappling with initial operational challenges associated with the newly launched system.
“This is a special period. We will engage terminal operators and relevant stakeholders to ensure that demurrage charges are waived on affected containers,” he assured, adding that immediate steps would also be taken to resolve bottlenecks linked to regulatory agencies.
The intervention follows concerns raised by freight forwarders, who disclosed that more than 10,000 containers had been delayed at the ports due to system integration issues, particularly involving the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
Beyond the immediate relief, stakeholders at the visit expressed strong optimism about the long-term benefits of the National Single Window, describing it as a transformative reform for Nigeria’s trade ecosystem.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the platform is already operational and will significantly enhance trade facilitation and economic competitiveness.
“The National Single Window is here to stay. It will revolutionize the trading environment, improve efficiency, and position Nigeria more competitively in global trade,” Adeniyi stated.
He explained that the visit by top officials was part of ongoing efforts to assess implementation progress, identify challenges, and ensure seamless coordination among all agencies involved.
According to him, while the system has recorded early successes, some technical glitches typical of large-scale digital transitions have been encountered and are being addressed.
“We expected some initial challenges. We have seen issues with manifest uploads and shipping integrations, but we are resolving them step by step. What is important is that we are working together as a team,” he said.
Drawing from past experience, Adeniyi expressed confidence that the current issues would soon be resolved, citing the successful stabilization of previous Customs platforms after initial setbacks.
Also speaking, Adedeji emphasized that the success of the current rollout is largely due to strong political will and improved stakeholder collaboration.
“We have attempted this several times in the past without success. What is different now is the commitment from the highest level of government and the cooperation among stakeholders,” he noted.
He added that despite early delays, the system has already simplified trade processes by consolidating multiple documentation channels into a single interface.
“Instead of submitting documents in multiple places, everything is now streamlined. Even with the current delays, it is still more efficient than what we had before,” he said.
From the ease-of-doing-business perspective, the Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha Audu, described the National Single Window as a critical milestone in Nigeria’s economic reform agenda.
“Anything that makes life easier for businesses is a win. Technology is the future, and Nigeria must align with global best practices. This initiative is a clear step in the right direction,” she said.
Audu expressed optimism that the platform could drastically reduce cargo dwell time at Nigerian ports to as low as three to four days, compared to current timelines, if fully implemented with strong inter-agency cooperation.
She also highlighted complementary reforms, including joint inspection processes and ongoing capacity-building efforts, aimed at improving efficiency within the port ecosystem.
While acknowledging the challenges, stakeholders unanimously agreed that the National Single Window represents a bold and necessary reform that will ultimately transform Nigeria’s trade landscape.
