By Oluyinka Onigbinde
Mounting frustration is sweeping across Nigeria’s maritime and trade sectors as the much-publicized National Single Window (NSW) project continues to suffer from implementation delays.
The delay is already raising fears that the country may be losing its competitive edge in global trade.
The National Single Window project was first mooted in 2013 as part of comprehensive port reform efforts aimed at streamlining trade processes and reducing bottlenecks at Nigeria’s seaports and border flip-flop a Presidential Steering Committee was eventually inaugurated on April 16, 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to drive the implementation of the project and ensure its timely delivery. However, more than one year after the committee’s inauguration, visible progress remains limited, fueling mounting anger among industry players.
Outlining the benefits of the NSW during the inauguration, the President said by simplifying government trade compliance through a digital platform, Nigeria will unlock the doors to economic prosperity, adding: “This initiative will link our ports, government agencies, and key stakeholders, creating a seamless and efficient system that will facilitate trade like never before”, he said.
The President further explained that paperless trade alone is estimated to bring an annual economic benefit of around $2.7 billion, noting that countries like Singapore, South Korea, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia have already seen significant improvements in trade efficiency after implementing Single Window systems.
“Imagine a Nigeria where businesses can save time and resources, where small enterprises can reach global markets, and where the informal eCommerce sector is brought into the fold, increasing our tax revenue base. This is the Nigeria we are building with the National Single Window.
“We cannot afford to lose an estimated $4 billion annually due to red tape, delays, and corruption at our ports. The National Single Window will address these issues head-on, preventing revenue leakage and facilitating effective trade. By doing so, we will create a more transparent, secure, and business-friendly environment that will attract investment and spur economic growth,” the President had said.
The National Single Window platform, when fully operational, is expected to serve as a one-stop portal where importers, exporters, shipping companies, government agencies, and other stakeholders can electronically process documents, make payments, and track shipments in real time. Its full deployment is projected to reduce cargo dwell time, eliminate overlapping agency functions, and curb corruption by minimising human interface.
While government officials insist that substantial progress has been made behind the scenes, industry experts argue that measurable milestones remain elusive and public communication on the project’s real status has been shrouded in vague assurances.
But, despite repeated government assurances after the committee was inaugurated, stakeholders say the prolonged delay reflects deep-rooted institutional conflicts and lack of decisive leadership that could render the project to become another stillborn reform, if urgent action is not taken.
In a chat with Shipping Position Daily, Mr Tola Fakolade, Director of the National Single Window Project, maintained that the government remains committed to the full implementation of the platform, insisting that the project is firmly on track to meet its year-end 2025 target.
“We are in project mode. Right now, we are integrating and working with all the agencies. The platform is not yet being used, but by year-end, everyone would have been fully integrated. That’s the commitment we made, and we are on track,” Fakolade stated.
However, several stakeholders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily painted a grim and frustrating picture of the current state of affairs.
Former Acting President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, did not mince words as he blamed bureaucratic resistance, exclusion of key industry players, and agency rivalry for the continuous delay.
“My take is that it’s a lofty idea, but implementation has been poor, because we have not dotted our ‘I’s and crossed our ‘T’s”, Farinto said. “The exclusion of freight forwarders from the National Single Window Committee is a major flaw. We are the people who interface daily with the system; if you don’t involve us, you will continue to rigmarole.”
Farinto identified entrenched protectionist tendencies by government agencies as a major stumbling block. According to him, agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and others are reluctant to fully submit to a unified operating procedure out of fear of losing control over their individual mandates.
“There must be a harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all agencies, vetted by a technical committee comprising of experts, including journalists, freight forwarders, and legal minds,” Farinto insisted. “Beyond that, we need a legal framework that sanctions any agency found culpable of delaying cargo unnecessarily. Until these are addressed, the National Single Window will remain nothing but another talk show.”
Echoing similar sentiments, President of the African Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Frank Ogunojemite, warned that the continued delay in implementing the project has far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s economy, competitiveness, and reputation as a trading hub.
“The delay holds significant implications for the maritime sector. Clearance delays are driving up logistics costs, increasing demurrage, and forcing businesses to absorb heavy losses,” Ogunojemite stated. “Nigeria risks losing investors and ceding its market to more efficient West African ports, if urgent actions are not taken.”
Ogunojemite added that the failure to operationalise the Single Window system is also denying the government potential revenue gains from enhanced trade facilitation and improved compliance.
A maritime analyst, Pius Ebojie, told Shipping Position Daily that: “There is no point sugar-coating it. We are years behind schedule. Countries like Ghana and Kenya are already miles ahead with fully-functional Single Window systems. For Nigeria, every day lost to delays is another self-inflicted wound on our economy.”
Checks by our correspondent revealed that as stakeholders await another deadline toward the end of 2025, fears persist that unless government decisively addresses inter-agency conflicts, legal gaps, and inclusive stakeholder participation, the National Single Window project may follow the path of several other failed reform efforts that were long on promises but short on delivery.
The success or failure of the Single Window system, experts warn, will not only define the future of port reforms in Nigeria, but could ultimately determine whether Nigeria emerges as a regional trade leader or sinks deeper into operational inefficiency.
