Stakeholders in Nigeria’s import and export sector have endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s National Single Window (NSW) initiative to streamline trade processes and promote transparency.
The endorsement came during a stakeholders’ engagement forum jointly organised by the National Single Window Secretariat and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos on Thursday.
Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr Kingsley Igwe, said the initiative would cut logistics and supply chain costs significantly.
He stated that studies indicate the full implementation of the NSW could reduce logistics costs in Nigeria by between 25 and 30 per cent.
Igwe said the platform would enhance competitiveness, attract foreign investment, and boost regional trade by positioning Nigeria among leading global trade hubs.
He added that the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by aligning national trade processes with international best practices.
According to him, integrating all trade processes digitally would create a smoother business environment, expand enterprises, and generate employment across logistics, ICT, and manufacturing sectors.
“Nigeria is at a critical juncture. Our businesses struggle with high logistics costs, documentation duplication, and delays in cargo clearance.
“The National Single Window offers a proven solution already successful in Singapore, South Korea, and Rwanda,” Igwe said.
Director of the NSW Project, Mr Tola Fakolade, described the platform as a digital hub allowing traders, businesses, and agencies to process trade documents via a unified interface.
He said the system would connect shippers, banks, freight forwarders, customs, and port operators in a transparent and secure digital ecosystem.
“With the NSW, importers and exporters will process documents once, instantly recognised by all regulatory agencies,” Fakolade explained.
He added that approvals, licences, and inspections would be automated and tracked in real time to ensure efficiency and transparency.
Fakolade said the platform would particularly help small and medium enterprises by easing bureaucratic barriers and enabling quicker access to raw materials and machinery.
He noted that the system would provide real-time data on trade flows and compliance, reducing paperwork and enhancing predictability for logistics operators.
Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Zone ‘A’, Mr Muhammed Babadede, said the NSW was not merely a project but a fundamental shift in cross-border trade management.
Babadede revealed that the official launch of the National Single Window platform in March 2026 would mark a defining moment for Nigeria’s trade system.
He said the stakeholders’ forum was a milestone towards trade facilitation and broader economic transformation across the country.
“For too long, businesses have faced delays and repeated documentation with multiple agencies. The National Single Window will end that inefficiency,” Babadede said.
He added that customs officers understood the frustrations traders face and recognised that speed and efficiency are essential to global trade competitiveness.
Babadede commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, for driving trade reforms through tools such as the Authorised Economic Operator and Time Release Study.
President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr Ibrahim Jani, applauded the trade facilitation efforts.
Jani reaffirmed the group’s support for Nigeria’s economic growth and efficient export documentation.
Vice Chairman of the Port Consultative Council of Nigeria (PCCN), Chief Jean-Chiazor Anishere, praised the Customs Service for its dedication to the NSW rollout.
Anishere said the forum united maritime and aviation stakeholders, marking a major step towards the initiative’s full implementation nationwide.
Another participant, Mr Dili Ari, commended the Customs Service’s drive for standardisation, noting that the NSW aligns its operations with global trade standards.
