
Tola Fakolade, Director of the National Single Window (NSW)Project has described the initiative approved by President Bola Tinubu as a sure path to achieving a one trillion dollar economy by 2030 and strengthening Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) programme
Addressing participants at an enlarged stakeholders meeting of South South and South East businesses community and government officials, Fakolade enumerated the various benefits the NSW project holds for Nigeria
He described the National Single Window as a key initiative by the Nigerian government aimed at streamlining trade processes, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and enhancing economic efficiency as part of the broader ambition to grow Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion by 2030.
According to him, the digital platform will allow traders, importers, exporters, and regulatory agencies to submit and process all required documentation through a single online portal, minimizing delays at ports and borders while improving transparency and compliance.
The National Single Window(NSW) Project of the federal government received massive support by stakeholders in the South South and South East regions including importers, exporters, freight forwarding practitioners, licensed customs agents and manufacturers
At the enlarged meeting on Wednesday in Portharcourt, Rivers State jointly organised by the National Single Window Project ,the Nigeria Customs Service and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria they expressed optimism in the project’s ability to increase gains derivable from legitimate trade.
Speaking on behalf of his group , Chief Emenike Nwokeoji,National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) thanked President Bola Tinubu for taking a more bolder step than his predecessors who had tried to commence the NSW to no avail
According to him, Nigeria must not be left behind at a time innovation, transparency and simplification of processes have become commonplace in the global trading community
Other speakers at the event said the NSW was overdue . They thanked the project implementation office for their consistency in educating all concerned by coming to the zone to meet and answer questions relating to the project and it’s impact on national security and economy.
During a question and answer session,Fakolade said the NSW is configured in a way to accommodate all critical stakeholders involved in the trade value chain to the extent of visibility and interoperability where no stakeholder will operate in silos or in exclusion
Fakolade , applauded the efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service , the Central Bank of Nigeria and others for their pioneering roles in digitisation of trade processes.
He commended the high level of support and cooperation the NCS has been giving since the inauguration of the NSW Project Secretariat. The Head of NSW secretariat assured the stakeholders of federal Government’s full commitment towards deploying the NSW to enable Nigeria become a new destination for Buisness.
Kingsley Igwe , Registrar of the CRFFN who delivered the keynote called for stronger dedication by prospective users of the platform as the project office prepares for onboarding training to acquaint them about the operation of the system
In his address, the Representative of the CGC and Zonal Coordinator for Zone C ACG Mohammed Kamal called on licensed customs agents and other stakeholders to fully integrate into the NSW for it’s copious benefits like faster clearance time, eradicate delays hitherto caused by multiple agencies process and more
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