By Kingsley Benson
Nigeria’s long-awaited National Single Window, a flagship trade facilitation platform meant to cut delays at the nation’s borders, is finally gaining momentum after years of stalled attempts. This time, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says the project is on track because it enjoys something its earlier versions never had: the full and consistent backing of the Presidency.
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the FIRS, recently told maritime reporters at the All Nigerian Maritime Journalists Retreat in the Lagos Free Trade Zone that the renewed political will has changed everything. According to him, “earlier efforts struggled because the project did not have strong enough ownership. Today, President Bola Tinubu’s interest has unified all the agencies and given us the push we need to meet global standards.”
He said a steering committee made up of all major trade-related agencies now works directly out of the Office of the President, which has helped remove bureaucratic gaps that slowed down previous administrations. Represented by Ayokunu Oyeniyi, Head of Change and Stakeholder Management for the NSW, Adedeji said the project moved faster once the President launched the implementation phase in April 2024.
“We have completed detailed business process analysis, wrapped up the first round of User Acceptance Testing with several regulators, and we are now carrying out additional tests with the Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA,” he said. Another round of testing will take place in January 2026, followed by full-scale training across the trade ecosystem beginning in February.
The government expects the platform to go live in March 2026. Adedeji said the benefits will be visible almost immediately. “Countries that have working single window systems cut export processing times from more than ten days to two or three. With the scale of work we have done and the technology we are deploying, Nigeria can match and even surpass this within the first one or two years.”
The FIRS chief pointed to Ghana’s decade-old single window as an example of what consistency can deliver. “Ghana has done well, but we are building a more advanced system. We are deploying new scanners, tightening centralised risk management and bringing in data intelligence tools. All of this reduces the need for physical inspections and speeds up port operations.”
He urged stakeholders to stay engaged as the rollout draws near. “There will be challenges, but we already have structures in place for quick response. Continuous improvement is built into the system.”
For journalists and other actors in the maritime supply chain, the implications are significant. MARCON President, Ismail Aniemu, reminded participants that Nigeria’s position in West and Central Africa makes the success of the NSW more than a technical reform. “Whatever happens in our trade system affects the entire region. Our ports create jobs and drive productivity, but inefficiencies like long vessel turnaround times weaken competitiveness,” he said.
Aniemu noted that while Nigeria is moving in the right direction, “there is still much ground to cover.” The retreat, he added, was organised to help journalists better understand how technology is reshaping global trade and how they can communicate these changes to the public.
With the clock ticking toward March 2026, the NSW project has become one of the clearest tests of the government’s promise to rebuild confidence in Nigeria’s trade infrastructure. For the first time in years, officials say the pieces are falling into place.
