Divergent views have emerged over the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW), the Federal Government’s digital trade platform introduced to streamline import and export procedures at the nation’s seaports.
The platform, launched in March 2026, is designed to enable importers and exporters to submit trade documentation through a single digital portal, eliminating the need for multiple submissions to different government agencies and reducing delays in cargo clearance.
However, the President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has criticised the implementation of the initiative, arguing that it has yet to achieve its intended objectives.
Speaking on the development, Amiwero said the current arrangement had failed to simplify documentation and cargo clearance, claiming that traders were still dealing with multiple platforms rather than a unified system.
According to him, reports suggesting that the project had progressed to a second phase were premature, as issues identified during the initial rollout remained unresolved.
He maintained that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should take full responsibility for implementing the project, citing its statutory mandate, operational capacity and technical expertise under the Customs Act.
Amiwero also opposed plans for the electronic transmission of cargo manifests outside the Customs framework, insisting that the management of cargo manifests remains a legal responsibility of the NCS.
He called on the Federal Government to consolidate all trade documentation within a single Customs platform instead of operating multiple systems with overlapping functions.
The customs agent further expressed concern over continued delays in cargo clearance, warning that prolonged processing times were increasing demurrage costs and other charges incurred by importers.
The Nigeria Customs Service, however, rejected suggestions that the platform was underperforming, maintaining that the National Single Window had already begun to improve trade facilitation and the efficiency of cargo clearance.
As part of the next phase of implementation, the NCS, in collaboration with the National Single Window Secretariat, has commenced stakeholder sensitisation on the electronic submission of vessel manifests.
Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the exercise followed extensive consultations conducted before and after the launch of the platform’s first phase on 27 March 2026.
She described the National Single Window as an internationally recognised trade facilitation system capable of improving transparency, operational efficiency and Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.
Adebakin said the introduction of electronic vessel manifest submission would not diminish the statutory responsibilities of the Customs Service but would instead provide a faster, more transparent and efficient method of processing trade documents.
She added that the platform would strengthen data integrity, enhance trade facilitation and support efforts to combat smuggling.
National Coordinator of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, also expressed satisfaction with the progress made since the platform’s launch, commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its support.
According to him, the platform has issued more than 100,000 licences and permits and registered over 1,000 users, describing the figures as an important milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing trade modernisation programme.
