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Licensed customs agents and freight forwarders under the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) have thrown their weight behind the National Single Window (NSW) Project, describing it as a long-awaited relief for operators across Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The endorsements came during separate town hall engagements in Apapa, Lagos, with ANLCA members meeting on Tuesday and NAGAFF on Wednesday. Both groups pledged their full support for the project’s implementation, highlighting the platform’s potential to improve efficiency, transparency, and ease of doing business.
Speaking on behalf of licensed customs agents, ANLCA National President Emenike Nwokeoji described the NSW project as “a much-needed reform” and expressed excitement over the government’s strong backing and political will to end the multiplication of documents and repeated submissions.
He explained, “This initiative will address overlapping functions among government agencies and ensure that any objection raised on the platform is visible to all stakeholders. It will enhance transparency, speed up cargo clearance, and enable agents to submit documents remotely while tracking the movement of their cargo. This project is going to make our jobs easier. That’s why we are giving our full support. I believe strongly, on behalf of every licensed customs agent, that it will succeed.”
At the NAGAFF engagement, National President Tochukwu Ezisi described the Single Window as a timely development that would transform operations. “We fully support the initiative and welcome it wholeheartedly. With the right training and stakeholder engagement, this reform will deliver its intended benefits to the industry and the national economy,” he said.
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Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, called the platform “a major breakthrough for the maritime sector.” He added, “The single window platform is the best thing that is going to happen in the maritime sector because it is interactive. NAGAFF members will fully support this project, and we are always eager to embrace due process.”
The leadership of both associations urged members to fully embrace the programme, learn from past transitions, and attend the intensive training sessions provided by the NSW team. They advised members to register online, participate at designated centres, and cascade knowledge to their staff to ensure smooth adoption.
Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, outlined a phased rollout over 12 months to manage risks and address teething challenges. Phase One, commencing March 27, 2026, will cover imports, LCPO applications, manifests submission for air and sea cargo, centralised risk management for regulatory agencies, and payments. Phase Two, scheduled for Q2–Q3 2026, will focus on exports, including NXP, Form M, and data analytics. Phase Three, in Q1 2027, will cover declaration submissions, duties assessment, Advanced Risk Analytics, Trade Visualisation System, and operational dashboards.
Fakolade assured that processes not captured in the initial phase would continue on existing agency platforms. He also announced nationwide two-day hands-on training over four weeks, along with the establishment of support centres at major ports starting with Apapa Port. Help desks and walk-in centres will provide ongoing assistance post-launch.
He concluded by urging ANLCA and NAGAFF members to act as ambassadors for the NSW initiative, describing it as “the start of a great trade journey for Nigeria.”
