Nigeria’s National Single Window Project Out to Grow National Economy, Businesses – Fakolade
… Gets Stakeholders' Endorsement
Ahead of the March 2026 roll out date, Tola Fakolade, Director of the National Single Window (NSW)Project has restated the project’s benefits to the nation’s economy with guaranteed support for private companies doing business in Nigeria
He said the national single window is a game changer that will influence the way we conduct business going forward in Nigeria and will help Nigeria align with global best practices.
Speaking at a stakeholders forum in Lagos, Fakolade said while Nigeria has looked at the NSW of other countries, looking at their successes, the project office has considered the country’s peculiarities and the various levels of technology readiness of different government agencies to align them into the project
All delays associated with multiple submissions and isolated kind of regulation by different government agencies at various times leading to slow processes shall be a thing of the past, he assured
Fakolade said the NSW will be Nigeria’s bold step towards seamless trade facilitation, aligning government security, regulatory and revenue agencies into a single platform for one time document submission for import, export, logistics and allied businesses
He added that government is trying to move processes closer to making the country’s NSW high class while factoring Nigeria’s local peculiarities.
According to him,Nigeria is coming with its unique model after looking at global benchmark, the best in class countries in the world when it comes to trade facilitation ,import and export
He added that Nigeria’s has looked at the African region which include countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, Kenya that have implemented single window and have been into it for over 10 years, stating that Nigeria’s model will address the country’s needs
While highlighting benefits of being on the platform, Fakolade said the federal government will work closely with stakeholder groups in the organised private sector and accredited businesses approved by relevant government agencies.
For licensed customs agents, the NSW will only accept those approved by the Nigeria Customs Service and for freight forwarders, only those accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria(CRFFN) shall be onboarded on the platform
Mohammed Babandede, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator for Zone A who spoke at the event urged massive participation while calling for feedback as the implementation date draws closer.
Babandede said the NCS is committed to deepen strengthen trade through technology and robust stakeholders interaction at various stages.
Kingsley Igwe, Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN)who spoke at the event enumerated the NSW benefits to importers, exporters, manufacturers and other businesses.
Igwe also highlighted it’s impact in intra African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and global businesses
He said “why it matters for all businesses in Nigeria to key into national single window and adopt it in their business processes is this. Number one, for large corporations, the national single window reduces transaction costs. What that means is you can imagine when an entity is importing or exporting high volume of goods, say 500 container goods, you would imagine the amount of documents that will accompany such consignments.
“But with the advent of the national single window, one set of document is enough and could be done digitally on any consignment from origin to destination without alteration or altercations along the way. So, it eradicate delays and enhances supply chain visibility. It means companies can plan production, imports, and exports with certainty, therefore boosting competitiveness on the global stage.
“What about SMEs and local traders? Small businesses are the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. Yet, they often bear the brunt of bureaucratic bottleneck. With national single window, SMEs will have simplified, affordable, and transparent access to trade facilitation tools, enabling them to scale, assess new markets, and formalize their operations.
“What about the manufacturers? By ensuring faster clearance of raw materials and machinery, manufacturers can reduce downtime, enhance productivity, and meet market demand without costly delays. For us, the government and the regulators, the national single window provides real-time data on trade flows, revenue, and compliance. It strengthens security, stops leakages, eliminates rent-seeking practices, and enhances Nigeria’s standing in global ease of doing business rankings.
“For the logistics and freight forwarding community, the freight forwarders, port operators, terminal operators, truckers, and carriers will benefit from reduced paperwork, predictable operations, and digitally tracked consignment, leading to lower costs, faster delivery, and higher throughput. The broader economic significance includes lowering cost of doing business in Nigeria, because studies have shown that full adoption of national single window could reduce logistic costs in Nigeria by up to 25 to 30 percent, boosting competitiveness. It will enable Nigeria to join the rank of global trading hubs and attract more foreign investments” he said
The project has received commendation from importers, exporters, manufacturers ,licensed customs agents,freight forwarding practitioners and other port user for being a win-win platform with its prospects of easing business transactions and facilitating trade and boosting investor confidence
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