Nigeria’s trade environment is set for a major overhaul as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that the National Single Window (NSW) project will significantly enhance trade facilitation and support economic stabilization efforts.
Speaking after the 63rd quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Customs Service Board held at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja, Edun described the NSW initiative as a “game-changer” for Nigeria’s economy, bringing together multiple regulatory bodies under one digital platform.
The NSW project, launched in April 2024, is a digital trade facilitation platform designed to streamline the entire import-export process by allowing traders, customs, and all relevant government agencies to interact through a single electronic portal.
The system is expected to:
- Cut cargo clearance times
- Reduce transaction costs
- Minimize bureaucratic bottlenecks
- Increase tax revenue and compliance
- Enhance transparency and traceability in trade
- Prevent revenue leakages
- Foster job creation
- Improve Nigeria’s global trade competitiveness
“The Single Window project is central to our economic reform strategy. It will help us simplify trade, boost investor confidence, and improve government revenue without increasing taxes,” Edun said.
Key agencies participating in the NSW include:
- Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
- Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
- Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
- Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)
- Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
- Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
- Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC)
These agencies will be digitally integrated to exchange data and process permits, licenses, taxes, and inspections in real-time, eliminating the traditional back-and-forth delays.
Importers and exporters will upload trade-related documents such as:
- Form M
- Bill of Lading / Airway Bill
- Packing List
- SONCAP Certificates (for regulated goods)
- NAFDAC permits (for regulated items)
These will be submitted once electronically and automatically routed to the relevant agencies for approval or action.
The NSW project is currently undergoing technical and stakeholder integration and is set to fully launch in Q1 2026.
To support implementation, training sessions and multi-agency testing are ongoing, while public-private consultations continue to ensure readiness across the logistics, manufacturing, and freight-forwarding sectors.
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