FG unveils national single window to boost trade efficiency

The Federal Government has rolled out Phase 1 of the National Single Window (NSW) initiative, aiming to significantly reduce cargo dwell time at Nigeria’s ports from the current 18–21 days to less than seven days before the end of the year.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described the initiative as a major move to modernise the country’s trade system.

According to him, the rollout aligns with a recent agreement to upgrade the Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port.

Edun noted that the reform is part of a broader strategy to streamline port operations, lower the cost of trade, and boost economic growth across the country.

Speaking further, the minister said the reform had become necessary because, “As of 2025, cargo dwell time in Nigerian ports averaged 18–21 days.” This is approximately 475% higher than the global average of 4 days.”

The long cargo dwell time in Nigeria, he noted, had resulted in a high cost of doing business, delays for importers and exporters, and reduced competitiveness of Nigerian goods.

Mr Edun revealed that 73% of cargo dwell time in Nigeria was spent on documentation, customs processing, and regulatory approvals.

“This means the primary bottleneck is not physical infrastructure alone — it is process inefficiency,” he said.

The NSW, the minister assured, was Nigeria’s deliberate and integrated approach to addressing transaction delays.

His words, “Phase 1 of the NSW directly targets the 73% transaction delay component by introducing a single digital platform for trade documentation, eliminating multiple agency visits and duplicative processes.”

Other measures, according to Mr Edun, would include electronic submission of licences, permits, certificates (LPCOs), digital manifest processing, centralised risk management across agencies and transparent electronic payments.

The impact on dwell time, he explained, would be faster document processing, reduced human interface and bottlenecks and predictable and transparent timelines.

The minister said port modernisation would fix the physical bottlenecks as the government moves to upgrade Apapa and Tin Can Ports, which handle 70 per cent of Nigeria’s trade.

He said the modernisation would address the problems of congestion at terminals, inefficient cargo handling and outdated infrastructure in order to ensure faster cargo discharge and evacuation, reduced port congestion and improved turnaround time for vessels and trucks.

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