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From Fred Itua, Abuja
The National Single Window (NSW) platform has processed 156,026 licences, permits and certificates since its launch on March 27, 2026, as its project team prepares to introduce export services under the second phase of the digital trade system.
At a stakeholder engagement with the press in Abuja on Tuesday, the team reported 99.98 per cent platform uptime, more than 12,000 registered trade operators and the training of over 8,000 users.
The NSW is designed as a centralised platform for trade-related regulatory processes to improve the movement of cargo across Nigeria’s borders.
Registered operators include importers, customs agents, shipping lines, airlines and freight forwarders. The team said five government agencies had been fully onboarded.
Of the licences, permits and certificates processed, 104,956 went through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), while 50,622 were handled by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The platform also handled 3,964 cargo manifests, comprising 3,596 air manifests from 27 airlines and 368 sea manifests from 56 shipping lines.
The team said all airlines and air cargo companies had been onboarded, while 56 of the 88 shipping lines were transmitting sea manifests.
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Submission, processing and approval of import licences, permits and certificates for NAFDAC, SON, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency had been implemented, alongside related payments.
On harmonisation of Harmonised System (HS) codes, the team said rationalisation workshops had been held with regulators, including the Nigeria Customs Service. The harmonised codes are expected on both the NSW and B’Odogwu platforms by November 2026.
Onboarding of the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency for Ships Entry Notice submission is ongoing, with the service expected to go live on November 16.
Phase 2, already underway and scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027, will introduce export licences, certificates and permits, Forms NXP and NCX, export manifests, Import Duty Exemption Certificates and permits for Free Trade Zones.
The first batch, due in the fourth quarter of 2026, covers the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Federal Produce Inspection Service, the Registered Exporter System, SON, NAFDAC and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
The second batch, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, includes the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Ministries of Finance, Livestock Development and Marine and Blue Economy, among others.
Phase 3, projected for the third and fourth quarters of 2027, will introduce Customs Declaration submission, Form M processing, oil and gas processes, Advanced Risk Analytics and a Trade Visualisation System.
The team urged stakeholders to continue using the platform and seek help desk assistance where necessary.
