By Benson Daniel
The Federal Government has given ministries, departments and agencies involved in Nigeria’s trade system until the end of November 2026 to complete the second phase of the National Single Window and remove bureaucratic obstacles slowing down exports.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, announced the deadline during a high level stakeholder engagement on the activation of Phase 2 of the National Single Window and the Export Tracker.
Oduwole said the next phase of the digital trade platform must tackle fragmented processes, duplicated regulatory requirements and weak coordination among government agencies, which she said continue to increase the cost and time involved in exporting Nigerian goods.
She directed participating institutions to establish clear responsibilities, identify outstanding tasks and work towards firm delivery dates ahead of the November deadline.
The minister said the success of the reform would not be measured simply by the number of agencies connected to the platform, but by whether exporters experience faster, simpler and more predictable procedures.
The National Single Window, which became operational on March 27, has so far processed more than 124,614 licences and permits, registered 11,096 importers and agents, and trained more than 8,000 users. Regulatory payments of about N12.59bn have also been processed through the platform.
Oduwole said the platform represented an important step in the government’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s trading environment, but stressed that its launch should not be regarded as the completion of the reform.
She said exporters had identified seven major constraints during a government consultation in November 2024, with more than half linked to fragmented systems, duplication, poor coordination and inconsistent regulations.
One of the problems identified was the repeated inspection of export consignments by different government agencies, creating additional delays and costs for businesses.
Phase 2 is expected to integrate export permits, certificates, licences, inspections, payments and other regulatory processes into a coordinated digital system.
The government’s objective is to establish an operating model based on one portal, one submission and one coordinated process, eliminating the need for exporters to repeatedly provide information already held by government institutions.
Oduwole said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had begun aligning processes involving the Federal Produce Inspection Service, Regulatory Export Number, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and other relevant agencies.
She explained that agencies would retain their statutory responsibilities, but exporters should no longer have to navigate the internal complexity of government in order to complete a single transaction.
The minister linked the reform to President Bola Tinubu’s broader economic agenda of diversifying the economy, increasing non oil exports, creating jobs and supporting the ambition of building a $1tn economy by 2030.
The first phase of the platform has already recorded significant activity. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria processed more than 85,000 documents through the system and generated about N9.95bn in regulatory payments, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control processed 38,985 documents and recorded N2.59bn in payments.
The Director of the National Single Window Secretariat, Tola Fakolade, said five government agencies had been fully onboarded, including SON, NAFDAC, the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Quarantine Service and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
He added that 25 of the 27 airlines handling cargo in Nigeria had joined the platform, while 48 of 88 shipping lines had also been onboarded for the electronic submission of sea manifests.
The Executive Chairman of the National Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, urged participating agencies to comply with the implementation timelines, stressing that an efficient business environment was necessary to attract investment and support economic expansion.
With Phase 2 now focused on exports, the government faces the task of turning digital integration into practical improvements for businesses.
For Nigerian exporters, the expected gains include reduced paperwork, fewer duplicate inspections, quicker approvals and greater certainty in moving goods to international markets.
The November deadline will therefore serve as an important test of the government’s ability to translate the National Single Window from a digital platform into a more efficient and competitive trade system.
Leave a comment