The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project, reaffirming its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s trade modernisation and digital transformation agenda.
The Comptroller-General of Customs made this known during a stakeholder engagement with airline and shipping line operators held in Abuja on March 4, 2026. He emphasised the importance of collaboration among key players in the trade and logistics sector to guarantee the smooth rollout of the initiative.
According to him, the support and cooperation of critical stakeholders have been instrumental in the progress recorded so far in the Service’s modernisation drive.
The Customs boss disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated the Service to take decisive steps towards launching the National Single Window, describing the initiative as a strategic move to position Nigeria as a major player in global trade.
He noted that airline and shipping line operators remain vital partners in facilitating a seamless transition to the new system.
The Comptroller-General also assured stakeholders that adequate support structures would be put in place to ease the migration process.
“A help desk with well-trained personnel will be available to address any operational challenges that may arise during the rollout,” he said.
Earlier, at an awareness programme held on March 3, the Service rallied stakeholders and partner agencies behind the initiative, describing the National Single Window as a strategic reform aligned with Customs’ mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation and inter-agency coordination.
Speaking at the programme, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, DCG Oluyomi Adebakin, described the National Single Window as a major milestone in the Service’s ongoing modernisation drive.
She revealed that the NCS had been engaged in months of preparatory work to ensure that the framework being developed reflects operational realities and supports seamless implementation.
“This is a national project, but Customs is at the centre of its execution,” Adebakin said.
“The success of the Single Window depends on collective understanding and cooperation. We must all appreciate its value because we cannot effectively promote what we do not fully understand.”
She also reassured officers and stakeholders that the initiative is designed to strengthen institutional capacity rather than replace human resources, noting that technology would enhance efficiency, transparency and speed in cargo clearance and trade documentation processes.
Also speaking, the Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, acknowledged the leadership role being played by the NCS in the implementation of the project.
“Our number one stakeholder is the Nigeria Customs Service,” Fakolade said.
“We have maintained a strong and constructive working relationship. Customs’ participation and institutional experience are critical to the success of this project.”
The National Single Window initiative is expected to transform Nigeria’s trade environment by streamlining cargo clearance processes, improving inter-agency coordination, boosting revenue generation and strengthening the country’s position in the global trading system.