Authorities say growing adoption of the digital trade portal signals a major shift in cargo documentation and customs processing nationwide…..
Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) platform has processed more than 39,000 applications for licences, permits, certificates, and other trade-related documents within just eight weeks of operation, marking a significant milestone in the country’s push toward digital trade facilitation.
The Director of the NSW Secretariat, Tola Fakolade, disclosed the figures on Friday while briefing journalists in Lagos on the progress recorded since the first phase of the platform was launched in March 2026.
According to Fakolade, a total of 39,039 LPCO applications were submitted through the portal during the review period, reflecting increasing confidence among businesses and regulatory agencies in the newly deployed digital system.
“Over the last eight weeks since go-live, approximately 39,039 LPCO applications have been submitted through the platform,” he said.
“This indicates growing reliance on the NSW for the submission and processing of trade-related licences, permits, certificates, and other documents.”
Providing a breakdown of the submissions, Fakolade revealed that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) accounted for the highest number with 30,937 applications, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) processed 7,942 applications.
He added that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) recorded 138 submissions, while the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) handled 22 applications during the same period.
The NSW Director also disclosed that 7,567 users had been successfully onboarded onto the digital platform since its launch.
The newly registered users include importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, clearing agents, and other private-sector operators involved in Nigeria’s trade ecosystem.
According to him, the onboarding figures include 6,935 importers, 359 clearing and forwarding agents, 104 freight forwarders, and 169 licensed customs agents.
Fakolade further revealed that the platform’s Air Cargo Manifest Module, which officially went live on March 27, 2026, with DHL serving as the pilot airline, has also begun gaining traction among logistics operators.
He stated that 136 manifests have already been submitted through the system, while eight airlines and courier operators are currently using the NSW platform for cargo manifest submissions.
To ensure smooth implementation, the Secretariat commenced nationwide training sessions in February across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano for both government agencies and private-sector stakeholders expected to use the platform.
“End-user training for private stakeholders is still ongoing to ensure that new users continue to receive the guidance required to fully understand the NSW platform and carry out their respective activities effectively,” Fakolade explained.
He said nearly 3,000 private-sector stakeholders have so far been trained, including importers, exporters, customs agents, and freight forwarders.
In addition, 579 representatives from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) have also undergone training to understand the platform’s operational workflow and agency-specific responsibilities.
The agencies trained include SON, NAFDAC, NESREA, and NAQS, among others.
Looking ahead, Fakolade announced that the second phase of the NSW rollout will begin in June 2026.
He noted that the next phase will focus on expanding the manifest submission system to cover all airlines and shipping companies operating in Nigeria, allowing them to submit manifests directly through the NSW platform.
The National Single Window initiative is part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to modernise Nigeria’s trade processes, reduce bottlenecks at ports, improve transparency, and enhance ease of doing business across the country.
