Nigeria will take a major step toward modernizing its trade and port operations on March 27 with the official launch of the National Single Window platform, a reform designed to simplify import and export procedures, reduce delays, and improve the country’s competitiveness in global trade.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, described the initiative as a monumental reform that will reshape Nigeria’s trade ecosystem. He spoke during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at the State House in Abuja attended by ministers, heads of agencies, and senior government officials involved in the project.
According to him, the National Single Window platform is one of the key fiscal reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nearly two years ago as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic management and remove bottlenecks in trade processes.
Gbajabiamila said the system will replace the fragmented structure in which traders deal with several government agencies separately, often leading to duplication, delays, and additional costs. The new platform will integrate these processes into a single digital gateway.
“We are about to launch yet another reform by this administration that will be highly transformational in nature,” he said. “As the name suggests, it is a single national window instead of the multiple windows that currently slow down trade activities. This meeting is meant to review our progress and secure the commitment of all agencies so that the transition will be smooth.”
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He praised the dedication and professionalism of the institutions working on the project, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Earlier, the National Single Window Coordinator, Tola Fakolade, urged government agencies to intensify support in the final weeks before the platform goes live. With 23 days remaining before the launch, he said all partners must ensure the final stage of preparation is completed on schedule.
Fakolade explained that the first phase of the platform will introduce online processing of import permits, electronic submission of cargo manifests, and a centralized risk management system that will help authorities detect irregularities more quickly while reducing delays for legitimate traders.
He added that nationwide training for users has already begun and that pilot testing will soon take place to ensure that the system functions smoothly when the platform becomes operational.
Under the new system, cargo manifests will be submitted electronically and transmitted automatically to all relevant agencies without human intervention. This, he said, will eliminate repetitive documentation and ensure that information submitted once can be accessed by multiple agencies.
“The support we need from each agency is even more critical at this stage,” Fakolade said. “Documents will be submitted once and then shared with all relevant authorities without duplication.”
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, reaffirmed the ministry’s full backing for the project, describing it as a key driver of economic growth and trade expansion.
“This is a growth enhancing and growth enabling initiative,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Finance will provide every support required for its success.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, also pledged strong collaboration, describing the project as an important component of the administration’s economic reform programme. She noted that the system will improve efficiency for traders and help Nigeria close the gap with other countries that already operate similar platforms.
Oduwole said the ministry will intensify engagement with traders, importers, and exporters in the coming weeks to ensure that stakeholders understand how the system works before the official rollout.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, stressed the importance of the initiative in improving trade facilitation and strengthening Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.
Similarly, Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, called for stronger coordination among agencies and sustained political will to ensure the successful launch of the system.
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, described the National Single Window as a historic milestone that will improve efficiency at Nigeria’s ports and strengthen engagement with stakeholders across the trade value chain.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment was mandated to lead the final implementation phase leading to the March 27 launch.
Other agencies represented at the meeting included the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
The National Single Window is expected to reduce trade bottlenecks, improve transparency in cargo processing, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a key trading hub in West Africa once it becomes operational later this month.
