Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — Nigeria is set to launch the National Single Window, NSW, platform on March 27, a major step toward improving trade facilitation, streamlining cargo clearance processes, and strengthening collaboration among government agencies involved in import and export operations.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known during a stakeholders’ meeting at the State House, Abuja, attended by ministers, heads of regulatory agencies, and other key officials responsible for the implementation of the initiative.
The Director General/Chief Executive of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, was also present at the meeting alongside other heads of agencies, reaffirming the Organisation’s commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance efficient trade processes and strengthen regulatory collaboration.
The National Single Window project, introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will provide a unified digital platform where trade documents can be submitted once and shared with relevant government agencies, helping to eliminate duplication, improve transparency, and speed up trade procedures.
Agencies represented at the meeting included the Nigeria Customs Service, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
The first phase of the platform will include online processing of import permits, electronic submission of cargo manifests, and a centralized risk management system to support faster and more efficient cargo processing.
