The Federal Government’s National Single Window (NSW) project says it has processed 169,211 trade documents and registered 12,465 importers since commencing operations in March 2026.
Dr Tola Fakolade, Project Director of NSW, announced this in a statement on Wednesday, which Mr Christian Joe, Special Projects Editor at FirstNews Ltd., shared with reporters in Lagos.
Fakolade noted that the platform has registered 12,465 importers and agents, reflecting progress in simplifying trade procedures and increasing efficiency.
He reported that 27 airlines have joined, transmitting 4,009 air cargo manifests, and 56 shipping lines have joined, transmitting 405 sea manifests.
He said the platform has digitised import processes for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other regulatory agencies.
He identified the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) as additional agencies. He noted that the initiative has automated several previously manual processes.
Fakolade added that the project has started rationalising and harmonising Harmonised System (HS) codes to simplify product classification and enhance transparency in Nigeria’s trade system.
He also noted that the platform has maintained an operational uptime of 99.98 per cent, demonstrating its capacity to support continuous trade activities.
The prThe project director recalled that President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the NSW on April 16, 2024, to provide a centralised electronic platform for trade stakeholders. He explained that the initiative would enable traders to submit information once through a single entry point, thereby improving traceability, visibility and coordination among government agencies.
He stated that the single-submission model is expected to reduce transaction costs, processing time, and revenue leakages, while enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.
Fakolade said that Phase Two of the project will introduce export licences, Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) and Non-Commercial Exports (NCX) forms, and other permits.
He added that this phase will also include Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDEC) and Free Trade Zone permits, and that User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is ongoing nationwide.
He noted that onboarding the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will strengthen integration and improve operational efficiency.
