Nigeria will officially launch the National Single Window (NSW) platform on March 27, marking a major digital reform aimed at simplifying import and export procedures, improving efficiency, and strengthening the country’s trade competitiveness.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the State House in Abuja. The meeting brought together ministers, heads of government agencies, and other key officials involved in the project.
Gbajabiamila described the initiative, introduced nearly two years ago by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a transformative fiscal reform that would significantly enhance Nigeria’s trade environment.
“We are about to launch yet another fiscal reform by this administration which, in its nature, will be highly transformational,” he said.
“As the name implies, it will provide a single national window rather than multiple windows for trade-related processes.”
He explained that the meeting was convened to assess the progress made so far and secure the commitment of all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition ahead of the platform’s official launch.
“This meeting is to review the progress we have made and obtain your commitment to managing this transition successfully,” he added.
Gbajabiamila also commended the efforts of key institutions involved in the project, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Earlier, the NSW Coordinator, Tola Fakolade, urged participating agencies to intensify their efforts in the remaining 23 days leading to the platform’s go-live date.
According to him, the first phase of the system will allow online processing of import permits, electronic submission of cargo manifests, and the introduction of a centralised risk management framework.
“The support we require from each agency is even more critical at this stage. Documents will be submitted once and then shared with all relevant agencies without duplication,” Fakolade said.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to the project.
“This is a growth-enhancing and growth-enabling initiative. Whatever is required from the Ministry of Finance will be fully delivered,” Edun said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, described the initiative as a key pillar of the administration’s economic reform agenda. She assured stakeholders that the ministry would intensify efforts to sensitise traders, importers, and exporters ahead of the launch.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, also pledged the bank’s full support, emphasising the importance of narrowing Nigeria’s trade facilitation gap with other countries.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, called for stronger coordination and sustained political will to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, described the National Single Window project as a a historic milestone and stressed the need for continued collaboration among stakeholders.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment was mandated to lead the final 23-day implementation phase to ensure a seamless rollout of the platform.
Other agencies represented at the meeting included the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.