NSW processes 169,211 trade documents, registers 12,465 importers

2

The Federal Government’s National Single Window (NSW) project says it has processed 169,211 trade documents and registered 12,465 importers since commencing operations in March 2026.

Dr Tola Fakolade, Project Director of NSW, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday while Mr Christian Joe, Special Projects Editor, FirstNews Ltd., made it available to newsmen in Lagos.

Fakolade said that the platform had also registered 12,465 importers and agents, marking progress in efforts to simplify trade procedures and improve efficiency.

He said that 27 airlines had been onboarded, with 4,009 air cargo manifests transmitted, while 56 shipping lines had joined the platform, transmitting 405 sea manifests.

According to him, the platform had digitised import processes for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other regulatory agencies.

He listed the other agencies as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), adding that the initiative had automated several previously manual processes.

Fakolade said that the project had also commenced the rationalisation and harmonisation of Harmonised System (HS) codes to simplify product classification and improve transparency in Nigeria’s trade system.

He added that the platform had maintained an operational uptime of 99.98 per cent, demonstrating its capacity to support continuous trade activities.

The project director recalled that President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the NSW on April 16, 2024, to provide a centralised electronic platform for trade stakeholders.

He explained that the initiative would enable traders to submit information once through a single entry point, thereby improving traceability, visibility and coordination among government agencies.

According to him, the single-submission model is expected to reduce transaction costs, processing time and revenue leakages while enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.

Fakolade said that Phase Two of the project would introduce export licences, Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) and Non-Commercial Exports (NCX) forms, as well as other permits.

He said that the phase would also cover Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDEC) and Free Trade Zone permits, adding that User Acceptance Testing (UAT) was ongoing nationwide.

He further said the planned onboarding of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) would strengthen integration and improve operational efficiency. (NAN)