By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Federal Government’s National Single Window (NSW) initiative has confirmed that 22 regulatory agencies currently slow down Nigeria’s cargo clearance system, as the government moves to cut import processing time from up to 21 days to just 24 hours.
The Head of Change and Stakeholder Management for the NSW initiative, Mr. Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, disclosed this during a recent training programme for freight forwarders, describing the project as a single digital interface for traders, freight forwarders, shipping lines, airlines, and government agencies to process all import and export documentation.
“At the last count, about 22 regulatory agencies are involved in trade. With the National Single Window, users will come to one platform to obtain all the necessary licences, permits and certifications from the relevant agencies,” Ojeniyi said.
He explained that documents submitted through the NSW will be harmonised and shared automatically across all agencies, eliminating repeated submissions, reducing delays, and improving transparency. Electronic payments will also be made through the platform to standardise charges and prevent disputes.
Ojeniyi added that a centralised risk management system is being developed to replace the current practice where each agency applies its own risk rules, a system that currently subjects over 90 per cent of cargoes to physical inspection at Nigerian ports.
Citing global examples, he said countries that implemented single window systems, saw dramatic reductions in cargo processing time: Singapore cut clearance from four days to near same-day processing; the Republic of Korea reduced it from 39 days to four; Djibouti from 11 days to one; and Kenya from five days to three.
He said Nigeria currently takes 12 to 21 days to clear imports and about 11 days for exports, with costs about 80 per cent higher than comparable West African countries. The NSW aims to reduce both time and cost, improving efficiency and competitiveness, he assured.
In a separate briefing with our correspondent, the Director of the National Single Window, Mr. Tola Fakolade, said the rollout would be phased. The first phase, focusing on imports, requires shipping lines to submit cargo manifests through the NSW, which will then be transmitted to the Nigeria Customs Service for approval, before being shared with other agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA, and terminal operators. Ship Entry Notices will follow the same process.
“The first phase is already underway. The second phase, which will cover exports, is expected to be delivered by June 2027,” Fakolade said.
The project, inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April 2024, is overseen by a high-level steering committee comprising key trade and regulatory agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA, NAFDAC, and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
