By Joshua Yousouph
Maritime stakeholders have raised fresh concerns over the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW), warning that the alleged inactivity of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on the NSW and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) clearance platform could expose the country to an influx of substandard and defective imports.
Industry operators warn that any disruption to SON’s participation in cargo clearance could weaken Nigeria’s quality assurance regime at a time when the country is battling the influx of fake, counterfeit and substandard products.
The stakeholders, who spoke separately with Shipping Position Daily, expressed fears that the development may have created regulatory gaps capable of undermining product quality control, consumer safety and government revenue generation.
Leading the concerns, former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche, alleged that SON is no longer effectively integrated into the Customs electronic clearance process following the rollout of the National Single Window.
According to him, the situation has weakened inter-agency collaboration and poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s import control system. Uche maintained that while the National Single Window was introduced to simplify trade procedures, its implementation appears to have disrupted existing regulatory processes.
“The country is at risk of an influx of substandard and defective products. SON’s process is no longer being given attention. Their portal is completely out of place. Customs silently removed them from their system.
“Our concentration should be on what is happening with Customs, SON, NAFDAC and other service providers. The non-collaboration among government agencies is affecting cargo clearance, government revenue and the economy,” he said.
Corroborating concerns over the new platform, Public Relations Officer of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (ARFFN), Taiwo Fatomilola, said many freight forwarders are experiencing operational challenges but have remained reluctant to speak publicly.
“Our problem is that we like to suffer in silence. People are suffering, but nobody wants to talk because they are afraid of possible repercussions. The present system is only slightly better than the previous one, but many challenges still exist,” he said.
However, Public Relations Officer of the Association of Progressive Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Tin Can Chapter, Clinton Okoro, disagreed with claims that SON had been removed from the Customs platform.
According to him, Customs merely restructured the allocation of Harmonised System (HS) Codes between SON and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to eliminate duplication in cargo processing.
He dismissed fears that the restructuring would automatically pave the way for an influx of substandard imports, insisting that SON’s regulatory responsibilities remain intact.
“They separated the HS Codes. Those meant for NAFDAC were assigned to NAFDAC, while those meant for SON were assigned to SON. The objective was to avoid duplication during cargo clearance,” Okoro explained.
