By The Nigerian Government is leveraging on the potentials of technology to bring all government agencies under one roof in a business model that it already named: National Single Window (NSW) as part of the strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make doing business in the country easy.
Speaking at the first public-private sector engagement and sensitisation summit in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the Director of the National Single Window Project and Head of Secretariat, Mr Tola Fakolade revealed that the project is already in the next step of technology readiness adding that soon all agencies will be integrated with the single window.
He explained that the NSW has done some assessment “and we’ll be working with the agency heads on what are the next steps on this” adding that “we’ve also gone through a rigorous procurement process and we’ve selected (8:31) the technology vendor that will also be doing the implementation of the national single window.”
Speaking further on the work progress since the President inaugurated the NSW in April 2024, Fakolade stated, “these results were achieved by the team between April and December last year. So, what is the way forward especially looking at the overall project timeline?”
He revealed that it takes four to five years to have a single window deployment saying that the NSW team is focused on the planning and the assessment with 2025 as a year of implementation of phase one.
“Our phase one will focus mainly on permits and risk management and we will share more information on that. And then we’ll have our phase two. So between 2025 and 2026, in 2025 we will have a single window that has some features that can be used and then we will complete that in 2026”, he said.
Also speaking, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola said Government is working round the clock to ensure the introduction of the National Single Window NSW platform at its various seaports and related facilities as part of deliberate measures to cut the cost of doing business by more than 25 per cent.
Oyetola noted that when implemented, the NSW will reduce cost of doing business at Nigeria’s seaports by over 25 per cent.
The Minister further said Nigeria loses an estimated annual revenue of ₦2.5 trillion for both the government and the business community, a development that makes it expedient for the government to work with its relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs towards ensuring that the NSW platform comes on stream within the shortest possible time.
The Minister said: “By streamlining operations, improving transparency, and minimizing delays, the system not only drives cost savings but also strengthens overall trade facilitation. The cumulative impact across all areas, including reduced costs, enhanced efficiency, and greater transparency, ultimately contributes to the overall ease of doing business.”
“Nigeria’s decision to implement the National Single Window system alongside the Port Community System (led by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy through the Nigerian Ports Authority) marks a pivotal step in this direction, demonstrating the government’s commitment to modernising trade processes and maximising the utilisation of our marine resources.
“Nigeria’s marine and blue economy represents an untapped gold mine of opportunities. It encompasses a vast spectrum of activities—from maritime shipping and fisheries to renewable energy and coastal tourism.”
In another remark, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, assured that with the active support the agency enjoys from the Minister, the Authority would leave no stone unturned in ensuring quick and successful deployment of the NSW platform in the country, which would largely address challenges faced by business owners, especially in the shipping industry.
Dantsoho expressed the commitment of the Authority to the NSW implementation, arguing that all over the world, it connects all stakeholders involved in foreign trade, and enables them to carry out trade procedures on one platform.
He said the platform provides a comprehensive online environment for all governmental and business users, including importers, exporters, commercial banks, carriers, Customs, ministries, and other government agencies to perform trade operations.
Dantsoho also said that NSW remains the global trade best practice for the electronic exchange of information in relation to over 500 million TEU movements and billions of tonnes of cargo.
He said he was pleased as a result of the “concrete move” by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement the NSW in Nigeria, describing the move as pivotal to deepening the competitiveness of Nigerian ports and positioning the people to reap greater benefits from global trade.
On the Port Community System PCS, which serves as prelude for the deployment of the NSW, the MD said: “The purpose of the PCS is primarily for Nigeria to comply with the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation IMO Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention), whose main objectives are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, to aid cooperation between governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other procedures.”
