FG to Implement National Single Window Policy at Nigerian Ports by 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced an ambitious plan to fully implement the National Single Window (NSW) policy across all Nigerian ports by 2026, marking one of the most transformative reforms in the country’s trade and logistics sector in decades. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who made the announcement during the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, described the project as a “game changer” for Nigeria’s economic competitiveness and trade facilitation framework.
The initiative, if successfully executed, will consolidate all port, trade, and customs operations onto a unified digital platform that allows importers, exporters, and regulatory agencies to interact seamlessly. It will drastically reduce human contact, minimize corruption, and cut cargo clearance times from several weeks to under seven days, aligning Nigeria with the global best practices of major trading nations.
At its core, the National Single Window (NSW) is a digital trade facilitation system that allows traders to submit regulatory documents — such as customs declarations, import/export permits, certificates of origin, and shipping manifests — through a single electronic entry point. Instead of dealing separately with multiple government agencies, the NSW integrates them into a single, interoperable interface.
In developed economies like Singapore, South Korea, and the Netherlands, the Single Window system has been the backbone of efficient trade management, saving businesses time and governments billions of dollars in administrative costs. For Nigeria, where the port environment has long been plagued by inefficiency, duplication, and extortion, the NSW could be revolutionary.
Nigeria’s seaports, particularly those in Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can), Onne, and Port Harcourt, are notorious for bottlenecks, corruption, and long cargo dwell times. According to data from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the average cargo dwell time in Nigerian ports is between 18 and 22 days, compared to the global average of 4 to 5 days.
Vice President Shettima highlighted this inefficiency, noting that Nigeria’s cargo dwell times are 475% above the global benchmark. This delay inflates logistics costs, discourages investors, and increases the final price of goods for consumers.
Importers have long lamented that clearing goods through Nigerian ports can be up to 30% more expensive than in neighbouring West African ports like Cotonou (Benin Republic) or Tema (Ghana). Such cost differentials have made Nigerian ports less competitive, encouraging diversion of cargo to nearby countries and costing Nigeria billions in lost revenue annually.
Shettima captured this reality bluntly:
“We cannot afford to continue down this path. Our inefficiencies are pricing us out of regional trade markets.
The Vice President revealed that by the end of 2026, the federal government aims to make Nigerian ports rank among Africa’s top three most efficient trade gateways. This target aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader economic reform agenda to make Nigeria a regional logistics hub capable of servicing West and Central Africa’s $400 billion annual trade volume.
Through the NSW, Nigeria will digitize its entire trade ecosystem — from customs to quarantine, port authority, immigration, and standards organizations — enabling faster cargo processing, real-time data exchange, and transparency in transactions.
By cutting clearance times to below seven days, Shettima explained, Nigeria will improve its Ease of Doing Business ranking, boost non-oil exports, and attract foreign direct investment in manufacturing, logistics, and e-commerce.
One of the major goals of the NSW system is to eliminate the pervasive human contact that fuels corruption at the ports. Under the current manual system, clearing agents and importers must interface with multiple agencies — Customs, NAFDAC, SON, NDLEA, Immigration, and Port Health — each demanding documentation and sometimes unofficial payments.
The NSW will automate these interactions, allowing all documentation, inspection scheduling, and approvals to happen electronically. Shettima emphasized that automation will drastically reduce opportunities for bribery, extortion, and manipulation of figures.
“When systems speak a common language, there is less room for interference. Transparency will become the new norm,” he said.
For decades, one of the biggest impediments to port efficiency in Nigeria has been the turf war among agencies. Each agency, operating under its own legislation, has often resisted integration efforts, leading to duplication and bureaucratic conflicts.
Shettima issued a firm directive to all relevant agencies — including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NAFDAC, NDLEA, and Nigerian Immigration Service — to work as a unified value chain.
He cautioned that “inter-agency rivalry must give way to collaboration,” insisting that no reform can succeed without collective ownership.
This instruction aligns with the pending Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, which, once signed by President Tinubu, will legally compel all inspection agencies to operate in a synchronized manner, reducing delays caused by multiple and repetitive inspections.
Beyond digitization, the Vice President emphasized the need for a reliable weights and measures framework — a standardized system to ensure fairness in trade and protect both importers and consumers.
Shettima noted that arbitrary measurement discrepancies at ports often lead to revenue leakages and disputes between customs and traders. The new framework will ensure uniform standards across all ports and agencies, helping Nigeria meet international trade obligations and World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements.
Zahrah Audu, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), stressed that the inefficiency of Nigeria’s ports remains one of the biggest obstacles to improving Nigeria’s global Ease of Doing Business ranking.
She pointed out that while the government has made progress in digital business registration and tax processes, port operations remain archaic and opaque. According to Audu, achieving port efficiency will automatically improve Nigeria’s performance in key World Bank indicators related to “Trading Across Borders.”
“Port reform is business reform,” she said. “If we can fix our ports, we can fix half of our business environment challenges.”
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho, reinforced the government’s commitment to collaborative reform. He acknowledged that while progress has been made through joint boarding operations and digitization of vessel clearance, more work remains.
“Until there is synergy and partnership, efficiency at the ports will remain a dream,” Dantsoho said.
He outlined ongoing efforts by the NPA to upgrade port infrastructure, enhance cargo handling equipment, and implement real-time vessel tracking systems. Dantsoho also highlighted that Lekki Deep Sea Port, Nigeria’s newest and most advanced port, will serve as a pilot location for the full rollout of the National Single Window system.
For the Nigeria Customs Service, the NSW is not merely a procedural upgrade — it’s a fiscal lifeline. Customs officials estimate that the digital integration will increase Nigeria’s annual customs revenue by at least 30%, as automation closes loopholes exploited by smugglers and fraudulent agents.
Under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Customs has already launched several digital reforms, including the Trade Modernization Project (TMP), the E-Customs platform, and the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) — all designed to dovetail into the National Single Window by 2026.
Adeniyi noted that Nigeria’s goal is to join the ranks of African nations like Morocco and Kenya, where single window systems have boosted trade efficiency and national revenue simultaneously.
While digital transformation is essential, stakeholders emphasize that infrastructure must match technology. Many Nigerian ports still suffer from decaying access roads, limited storage capacity, and obsolete cargo scanners.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, has committed to rehabilitating major port access routes, upgrading terminal infrastructure, and integrating inland dry ports to decongest Lagos.
The upcoming Onitsha River Port and Kano Inland Dry Port are expected to serve as inland extensions of seaports once the single window system is operational — allowing traders in the hinterlands to process cargo documentation and clearance electronically without traveling to coastal cities.
The success of the NSW will depend heavily on private sector participation. Logistics operators, freight forwarders, shipping companies, and clearing agents will need to adapt to a fully digital workflow. The government has promised stakeholder training programs, public-private consultations, and transitional support to ensure smooth adoption.
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have endorsed the project, describing it as a “long-overdue reform that could save billions annually.” MAN estimates that a functional single window could reduce trade transaction costs by up to 40% and improve Nigeria’s export capacity
Globally, over 80 countries have implemented or are implementing national single window systems, according to the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT). In Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda are among the leaders.
Nigeria’s adoption will position it to align with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which emphasizes trade facilitation, digital customs processes, and interconnectivity. With an operational single window, Nigeria could become a logistics hub for West Africa, enabling smoother trade flows from landlocked countries like Niger and Chad.
Despite the enthusiasm, experts caution that Nigeria’s reform success depends on three critical factors: political will, institutional coordination, and sustained funding.
Previous digital reform attempts — such as the Port Community System (PCS) and Single Window Trade Portal launched in 2016 — failed due to lack of coordination, agency rivalry, and bureaucratic resistance.
To avoid repeating past mistakes, the Tinubu administration is creating a National Steering Committee on Port Efficiency, chaired by the Vice President, with quarterly progress reports to the Federal Executive Council.
The implementation of the National Single Window Policy represents one of the most consequential tests of President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda. It is not merely a technological upgrade; it is a political and administrative re-engineering of Nigeria’s trade ecosystem.
By 2026, if Nigeria can achieve what it has promised — a transparent, digital, and collaborative port environment — it will mark a turning point in the country’s history of maritime inefficiency. It will signal to global investors that Nigeria is finally ready to do business the modern way.
But the stakes are high. The NSW project must overcome deep-seated institutional resistance, infrastructural decay, and cultural inertia. It will require discipline, coordination, and sustained leadership.
If successful, however, the payoff will be immense: cheaper imports, more exports, higher revenue, and a stronger economy. More importantly, it will restore faith in government-driven reform — proving that, when properly executed, Nigeria can transform not just its ports, but its entire economic destiny.