National Single Window project drives up import licenses by 30% to 156,000

By Monireoluwa Lucas

Owing to the compliance with the National Single Window (NSW) project, the phase one, which was launched on March 27, 2026 to facilitate trade has increased the processing of import licenses by 30 per cent to 156,000.

The NSW Project Director, Mr. Tola Fakolade made this known in Abuja at a media parley.

The NSW is a centralized electronic trade platform launched by the Nigerian government to streamline import and export processes.

He announced that that phase 2, which is export focused will take off at the end of 2026.

He recalled that the Phase 1 of the platform that is import based officially went live on March 27, 2026, following its initial commission and steering committee inauguration by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on April 16, 2024.

The project which has reduced paperwork, according to him, allows a single submission of trade documents instead of interacting with multiple individual agencies. It has sped up cargo movement and port turnaround times.

Commenting on the efficiency of the phase 1, the Project Coordinator said,

“We have over 156, 000 licenses and permits have been processed through the platform…The number of licenses and permits that have been issued compared to the same period last year has gone up between 20 to 30 per cent.

” So for us, that gives us the Assurance that you know the single window is delivering, which is blocking some of the loopholes that existed before and really driving compliance.”

He described the phase 1 of the project as import centric, through which importers can apply for licenses and permits direct to NAFDAC, SON, and NESREA.

The NSW project has replaced fragmented, paper-based Customs and regulatory procedures with a single digital portal and integrates data sharing, electronic payments, and real-time cargo tracking across sea ports, airports, and border scanning locations.

He described the NSW as the platform where all the regulatory forms that Central Bank of Nigeria requires will be processed.

The Project Coordinator added: “So we are also working and collaborating very closely with CBN. I will also plan to launch the import Duty exemption certificate on the single window.”

The final approval, he said, will still come from the Federal Minister of Finance.

On who can use it, Fakolade stressed that importers, exporters, clearing and forwarding agents, shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders can apply it in their services.

According to him, the project which has registered over 12,000 importers and agents does not take over role of any agency.

He said the manifest is evident that the project, which has recorded strong adoption, has five Ministries Departments and Agencies.

He revealed that it has also trained over 8,000 users.

He recalled that part of the teething challenges of the NSW was knowledge gap, noting that the project has now trained 5,000 people with the target to extend it to more beneficiaries.