President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee to ensure that the trade facilitation platform is fully operational by the first quarter of 2026.
The directive was issued during the committee’s fifth meeting, held on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, where the President was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila linked the urgency of the NSW implementation to the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts, signed into law in June, and the administration’s broader goal of building a $1 trillion economy. He stressed that financial and trade sector reforms remain pivotal to achieving national economic transformation.
“It is important that we remain focused on this project to meet our timelines and deliver the results the President expects,” Gbajabiamila stated.
He highlighted the NSW as a unified digital platform designed to simplify Nigeria’s import and export processes. The platform, he said, will promote transparency, attract investment, boost trade revenues, and enhance Nigeria’s reputation in global commerce.
Gbajabiamila urged all relevant agencies to sharpen their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets to meet the Phase 1 deployment timeline.
“I expect that since our last steering committee meeting on April 8, 2025, all stakeholders have actively worked to advance the required KPIs and targets to ensure the Phase 1 rollout in Q1 2026 stays on track,” he added.
Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, described progress on the project as encouraging but called for a faster transition from planning to execution. He described the NSW as a complex yet transformative initiative, requiring stronger inter-agency collaboration to meet the rollout deadline.
Similarly, Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, urged the committee to sustain momentum and achieve the 2026 target without delay.
Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), thanked the President for his continued support, noting the legal framework now backing the project. He encouraged committee members to remain steadfast.
“The reward for hard work is more work,” Adedeji said. “With the Single Window now enshrined in law, we must stay committed to seeing it through.”
Providing a progress report, Tola Fakolade, Director of the National Single Window Project, confirmed that all key milestones for Q2 2025 had been met and that platform customisation is in progress. He expressed confidence that the committee would maintain the set timeline.
The NSW is a Federal Government initiative aimed at streamlining trade procedures through a centralised digital system for importers and exporters.
Launched in April 2024, the platform seeks to integrate all relevant government agencies involved in cross-border trade into a single digital portal. It is expected to reduce transaction costs, cut delays, and improve transparency and operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
The NSW Steering Committee comprises representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Ministry of Finance, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and Nigeria Customs Service.
