Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) Project is poised to significantly transform the country’s import and export processes when it becomes operational in March 2026, the Director of the project, Tola Fakolade, has said.
Fakolade disclosed this on Monday in Lagos during a media parley with members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON), where he outlined the objectives, scope and phased implementation plan of the initiative.
He said the NSW is designed to reduce cargo clearance time, lower transaction costs and enhance efficiency across Nigeria’s ports, noting that while the project may not resolve all trade-related challenges immediately, it provides a strong foundation for long-term improvement.
According to him, the success of the project will depend largely on collaboration and widespread adoption by stakeholders within the trade ecosystem.
“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 said.
He 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.
Fakolade described 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, cutting average export time from 11 days to one day, lowering physical cargo examinations from 90 per cent to 10 per cent, and aligning clearing costs with those of neighbouring West African countries.
“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.
He cited international examples such as Singapore, Benin, Djibouti and Kenya, noting that the adoption of Single Window systems in those countries had led to improved cargo clearance efficiency and reduced vessel turnaround times.
The NSW platform will streamline trade procedures through 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.
Fakolade noted that the system is intended to encourage compliance by rewarding compliant traders with faster clearance, while high-risk shipments are flagged for closer scrutiny.
To ensure smooth implementation, he announced 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 said the phased approach would allow for quick resolution of initial challenges and minimise disruption to traders.
Fakolade also revealed 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.
“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,” he said.
The NSW project, inaugurated on April 16, 2024, is being implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Quarantine Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), among others.
With the March 2026 launch date approaching, Fakolade assured stakeholders that the project team is intensifying efforts to deliver an efficient, transparent and user-friendly platform capable of enhancing Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
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