• Targets export operations by Q1 2027, records 99.98% uptime
•12,112 importers, agents registered
• Phase one automates payments, eliminates manual workarounds
•NPA, NIMASA integration scheduled for November 16
Emmanuel Addeh and Aminat Hassan in Abuja
Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) project has processed 156,026 import licences and permits since its launch in March, with more than 12,000 importers and agents registered on the platform, as the government moves to extend the digital trade system to export operations and other critical processes.
Speaking at a media engagement on the Phase One of the initiative in Abuja yesterday, the Director of the NSW Project and Head of Project Secretariat, Tola Fakolade, disclosed that 12,112 importers and agents have so far registered on the platform, while five government agencies have been fully onboarded for the first phase of implementation.
The platform, launched on March 27, 2026 was designed to streamline trade documentation and regulatory processes by providing a central digital interface for importers, exporters, shipping lines, airlines, freight forwarders and government agencies involved in international trade.
Besides, the project team said the platform had maintained an overall uptime of 99.98 per cent, while more than 8,000 users had received training since its launch, stressing that the initial phase has automated the submission, processing and approval of import licences, permits and certificates for some government organisations.
These, it said, include: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
The development represents a shift from the previous system, under which businesses had to navigate separate procedures and documentation requirements across regulatory agencies before completing import transactions.
Under the new arrangement, applications and related payments for the licences, permits and certificates issued by the four agencies are processed through the central platform.
Fakolade disclosed that SON accounted for 104,956 documents processed, while NAFDAC accounted for 50,622. In the same vein, NESREA recorded 398 documents, while NAQS processed 50.
According to a presentation made by Fakolade, air and sea cargo manifests have also been incorporated into the system, with airlines, air cargo operators and shipping lines expected to submit their documentation through the platform.
Similarly, Fakolade said 3,596 air cargo manifests had been transmitted through the platform by 27 airlines, representing full participation among the airlines onboarded. Fifty-six shipping lines transmitted 368 sea cargo manifests, although this represented only 63.6 per cent of the 88 shipping lines listed in the project’s compliance figures.
Also, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have completed their readiness requirements but are still in the process of becoming operational on the platform. Their integration for Ships Entry Notice submission is now scheduled to go live on November 16, the NSW director said.
He pointed out that the harmonisation of Harmonised System (HS) codes was also on track, following workshops involving regulatory agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Fakolade hinted that with the first phase focused largely on import documentation and cargo manifests, the project is now moving into its second phase, which will introduce export-related processes and additional government agencies. The second phase is scheduled for phased delivery between the Q4 of 2026 and the Q1 of 2027.
According to NSW, the first batch of agencies and organisations expected to go live in the Q4 of this year includes the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment through the Federal Produce Inspection Service and the Registered Exporter System, SON, NAFDAC and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
A second batch, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, will include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service, NAQS, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The third phase, scheduled for delivery between Q3 and Q4 of 2027, will extend the platform to additional trade and regulatory functions, the organisation added.
Fakolade noted that the adoption has continued to grow since the March launch, with importers, customs agents, freight forwarders, airlines and shipping lines among the registered users.
He explained that the initiative was designed to connect the systems of government agencies rather than take over their statutory responsibilities.
“The Single Window is a platform that centralises processes. The Single Window does not take over the role of the agency,” he said.
On whether the programme had reduced cargo clearance time, Fakolade said its full impact would become clearer after subsequent phases were implemented.
He explained that the first phase focused on permits and licences required before goods could be imported, while further integration with Customs would address other stages of the clearance process, including cargo declarations.
“We will start seeing the benefit of the Single Window on clearance when the three phases of this project are implemented,” he said.
Fakolade said the project would continue to work with participating agencies and stakeholders to improve compliance, strengthen transparency, and simplify Nigeria’s import and export processes.