National Single Window: Project to Commence in March for International Trade Transformation
By Raheem Ibrahim
The Federal Government’s National Single Window (NSW) project, aimed at transforming the nation’s international trade, will become fully operational in March this year.
The Director of the project, Tola Fakolade, disclosed this during a media parley with members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) in Lagos. He emphasized that the NSW will significantly transform Nigeria’s import and export processes by reducing cargo clearing and forwarding to a 24-hour service window.
According to him, although the initiative may not address all trade-related challenges immediately, it will reduce cargo clearance time, lower transaction costs, and enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the nation’s ports.
He added that the project will depend largely on collaboration and widespread adoption by stakeholders within the trade ecosystem, saying, “We are laying the right foundation and putting the right processes in place. The improvements may not be instant, but they will compound over time and help us reach our destination.”
Fakolade explained that the NSW will provide a single digital interface for traders and agents, enabling data harmonisation, improved transparency, electronic payments, and centralised risk management.
Describing the project’s key performance targets—referred to as its “North Star”—as reducing import clearance time from between 12 and 21 days to 24 hours, he said the initiative also aims to cut average export time from 11 days to one day, lower physical cargo examinations from 90 per cent to 10 per cent, and align clearing costs with those of neighbouring West African countries, which will significantly improve trading in Nigeria.
“Our ambition is to make it standard practice for compliant traders to move their goods out of the ports within 24 hours. This will make Nigeria more attractive to investors, particularly foreign manufacturers,” he said.
Citing international examples such as Singapore, Benin, Djibouti, and Kenya, the NSW Director disclosed that the adoption of Single Window systems in those countries had improved cargo clearance efficiency and reduced vessel turnaround times.
Among its benefits, the NSW platform will streamline trade procedures through the single submission of documents and automatic sharing of manifests among relevant government agencies.
It will also deploy risk management algorithms based on factors such as product type, country of origin, and compliance history. The system is intended to encourage compliance by rewarding compliant traders with faster clearance, while high-risk shipments will be flagged for closer scrutiny.
For smooth implementation, Fakolade revealed that the project will be rolled out in three phases. Phase One, scheduled to commence on March 27, 2026, will cover pre-arrival import permits, air and sea manifests, and centralised risk management. Phase Two, planned for the second and third quarters of 2026, will address remaining import permits and all export processes, while Phase Three, expected in the first quarter of 2027, will focus on customs declarations.
He noted that the phased approach would allow for the quick resolution of initial challenges and minimise disruption to traders. Fakolade also disclosed plans to establish support centres with internet facilities for licensed customs agents and freight forwarders at major ports, beginning with Apapa Port, before extending to Onne Port and the Ikeja Airport.
Emphasising the role of the media, he called for sustained collaboration to promote awareness and build trust in the new system, saying, “We want to work closely with the media to ensure accurate information reaches the public and trading community. The more people understand the Single Window, the smoother the launch will be.”
It will be recalled that the NSW project, inaugurated on April 16, 2024, is being implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), among others.
