Stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime sector have been urged to embrace the National Single Window (NSW) initiative of the Federal Government aimed at enhancing trans-border trade.
The NSW initiative, launched by President Bola Tinubu, targets achieving no less than $1 trillion in economic growth by 2030, in line with global growth projections.
Mr. Tola Fakolade, NSW Project Team Lead, made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting on Friday in Port Harcourt.
Fakolade urged stakeholders to leverage the wide range of seamless trade opportunities it offers. He explained that the initiative, launched in April 2024, aims to promote trade facilitation, enhance revenue generation, and strengthen national security across Nigeria’s borders.
He said the NSW seeks to harmonize the digital operations of all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that often slow import and export processes.
“We hope that when NSW is fully implemented, existing bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering trade will be drastically reduced, enhancing transparency and predictability in business operations. It will also reduce person-to-person contact within the trade ecosystem while boosting the ease of doing business,” he said.
Earlier, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Assistant Comptroller-General Kamal Mohammed (Zone C, Port Harcourt), applauded stakeholders for their collaboration, describing the meeting as a defining moment for trade facilitation.
He urged stakeholders to embrace digitalization, noting that it promotes transparency within the maritime value chain.
“When fully operational, clearance processes and documentation will become faster and easier, thereby reducing costs and delays,” he added.
The Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Igwe, in his keynote address, stressed the benefits of the NSW initiative and encouraged stakeholders to take full advantage of the modern technology it introduces.
