NSW PHASE TWO EXPORT OPERATIONS TO COMMENCE DECEMBER 14 – FAKOLADE
The Director of the National Single Window (NSW), Dr Tola Fakolade, has announced that the second phase of the National Single Window project, focusing on export processes, will commence on December 14, 2026, as part of efforts to simplify trade documentation and improve Nigeria’s international trade operations.
Fakolade disclosed this at a stakeholders’ engagement titled “Unlocking Endless Possibilities: A Comprehensive Outlook on the National Single Window Project,” held in Lagos on Tuesday.
He explained that the National Single Window was designed to simplify trade by providing a unified platform through which traders could submit documents once for regulatory approvals and receive responses from relevant agencies without navigating multiple systems.
According to him, the platform also serves as a central repository for trade data, promoting transparency, coordination and collaboration among government agencies and private-sector operators.
Fakolade said the NSW concept was developed in line with trade facilitation principles promoted by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, the World Trade Organisation and the World Customs Organisation.
He recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the project on April 16, 2024, while its first phase was launched on March 27, 2026, focusing on licences, permits, certificates and manifests required for import transactions.
The director stressed that the NSW was not designed to take over the statutory responsibilities, revenue or jobs of participating government agencies but to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and improve efficiency across the trade value chain.
Providing an update on the platform’s performance since its launch, Fakolade disclosed that it had processed 169,211 licences, permits and certificates, while more than 12,000 importers and agents had registered.
He added that 27 airlines had been onboarded, with over 4,000 electronic manifests transmitted through the platform, alongside the participation of 20 shipping lines.
He further disclosed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) now process all their licences and permits through the NSW platform.
According to him, efforts are also ongoing to address overlapping product regulations through Harmonised System (HS) code mapping in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Fakolade said lessons from the first phase, particularly in change management, stakeholder engagement, training and technical support, would guide the implementation of the export-focused second phase.
He explained that Phase Two would be implemented in two batches. The first batch, involving agencies responsible for issuing export permits, is scheduled to go live on December 14, 2026, while the second batch, which includes processes involving the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2027.
Speaking at the engagement, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller-General Frank Onyeka, described the NSW project as critical to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s export transformation agenda.
Onyeka said the processing of more than 169,000 licences and permits demonstrated the growing impact of the unified platform in facilitating domestic and international trade.
He assured stakeholders that the Customs Service was exploring every available avenue to ensure exporters were properly positioned to benefit from the system, stressing that no exporter should be left behind in the country’s trade transformation drive.
He added that the Service would continue to train its officers, standardise operational processes and strengthen partnerships with customs agents and port operators to encourage registration, participation in user acceptance testing and training sessions.
According to him, the second phase presents new opportunities for export activities, increased trade value and improved competitiveness for Nigerian products in international markets.
Onyeka also congratulated President Tinubu on the initiative, while commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi, for providing leadership in driving reforms, modernising Customs operations and strengthening institutional collaboration towards the successful implementation of the NSW.
Also speaking, Assistant Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs Patience Apanide, said the platform had processed more than 169,000 import licences and permits since March 7, as stakeholders intensify efforts to onboard exporters ahead of the second phase.
She noted that the export component would help eliminate repetitive inspections, harmonise documentation requirements and improve cargo tracking from farms and factories to seaports.
Apanide emphasised that exporters’ preparedness and active participation would be essential to achieving the objectives of the platform.
Similarly, the Deputy Director and Regional Coordinator of the NSW, Mr Benedict Itegbe, said the initiative was designed to promote economic prosperity by reducing documentation bottlenecks and making trade processes more efficient for exporters.
He described its operating principle as “one portal, one submission and one coordinated process,” noting that the NEPC was among the first agencies to commence operations on the platform and had aligned its processes with the NSW Secretariat.
Itegbe disclosed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached $6.1 billion, representing 8.02 million metric tonnes in 2025, with more than 8,200 new exporters recorded.
He urged exporters to update their registrations and prepare for the new phase rather than wait until the platform becomes fully operational.
The engagement attracted more than 500 stakeholders, including importers, exporters and representatives of government agencies, who commended the NSW leadership for advancing trade facilitation reforms and promoting a more coordinated approach to international trade in Nigeria.
0 Comments