President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the National Single Window Steering Committee to make sure the digital trade platform is fully up and running by early 2026, aiming to boost Nigeria’s trade efficiency and economic growth.
According to saharareporters, the President’s directive was delivered at the fifth Steering Committee meeting, held on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.
He was represented at the meeting by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to a statement on Tuesday, signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The National Single Window is a centralised electronic system that allows all government agencies involved in international trade—such as the Nigeria Customs Service, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Immigration, shipping lines, and terminal operators—to process documents and permits through one interface, eliminating the need for importers and exporters to deal with each agency separately.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Gbajabiamila noted that the recent Tax Reform Act, signed into law in June, had added urgency to Nigeria’s economic reform agenda.
“It’s important that we continue to stay focused on this project. So that at the end of the day, we meet our timelines and achieve the results the President expects,” he said.
“As you all are aware, the project is one of the transformative initiatives of Mr. President which we collectively must ensure is effectively and commendably implemented,” Gbajabiamila added.
He emphasised that the NSW would simplify Nigeria’s import and export operations, boost trade revenue, improve transparency, and enhance the country’s global business credibility.
“I do expect that since the last meeting of the steering committee which was held on the 8th April, 2025, all stakeholders have operated and actively progressed with all the required KPIs and set targets to ensure that we go live with phase 1 in Q1 2026 as was previously scheduled,” he stated.
Also speaking at the meeting, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described the project’s progress as encouraging but emphasized the need to move from strategy to implementation.
He described the project as “complex but transformational,” and called for stronger collaboration to overcome the remaining hurdles and meet the rollout deadline.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, also charged the steering committee to work diligently and ensure that the Phase 1 launch happens in Q1 2026 “without fail.”
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, thanked the President for his consistent support of the initiative.
“Thank you on behalf of the steering committee. We thank you for the relentless support that you have given to us,” he said.
“And to all my colleagues here, we can see that the reward for hard work is more work. When we started last month, it is now law; the single window is now in the law,” he added, urging committee members to remain focused on the mission ahead.
Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, provided a brief update on the committee’s progress and assured that the Q1 2026 deadline remains achievable.
“All second quarter 2025 key project milestones have been successfully achieved. And the customisation of the Single Window platform has commenced,” he said.
The National Single Window project, launched in April 2024, is designed to streamline trade processes through a single digital portal for all importers, exporters, and regulatory bodies. It aims to cut trade costs, reduce delays, and promote efficiency and transparency at Nigerian ports.
Committee members include representatives from the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, FIRS, and the Nigeria Customs Service.
