President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee to ensure that the digital trade facilitation platform becomes fully operational by the first quarter of 2026.
President Tinubu gave the directive at the fifth Steering Committee meeting held at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.
According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday, President Tinubu was represented at the meeting by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The NSW is a centralised electronic system that allows all government agencies involved in international trade, shipping lines, and terminal operators to process documents and permits through one interface, eliminating the need for importers and exporters to deal with agencies separately.
Some of the government agencies to be integrated on the platform include the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other regulatory bodies.
When fully launched, the NSW aims to cut trade costs, reduce delays, and promote efficiency and transparency at Nigerian ports.
Gbajabiamila, while highlighting the significance of the initiative, noted that the recent Tax Reform Act, signed into law in June, had added urgency to Nigeria’s economic reform agenda.
“It’s important that we continue to stay focused on this project. So that at the end of the day, we meet our timelines and achieve the results the President expects.
“As you all are aware, the project is one of the transformative initiatives of Mr. President which we collectively must ensure is effectively and commendably implemented”, he said.
Gbajabiamila explained that the NSW would simplify Nigeria’s import and export operations, boost trade revenue, improve transparency, and enhance the country’s global business credibility.
“I do expect that since the last meeting of the steering committee which was held on the 8th April, 2025, all stakeholders have operated and actively progressed with all the required KPIs and set targets to ensure that we go live with phase 1 in Q1 2026 as was previously scheduled,” he stated.
On his part, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun described the project’s progress as encouraging but pointed out the need to move from strategy to implementation. He called for stronger collaboration to overcome the remaining hurdles and meet the rollout deadline.
Similarly, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, also charged the steering committee to work diligently and ensure that the Phase 1 launch happens in Q1 2026.
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, thanked the President for his consistent support of the initiative and urged committee members to remain focused on the mission ahead.
Also, Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, provided a brief update on the committee’s progress and assured that the Q1 2026 deadline remains achievable.
“All second quarter 2025 key project milestones have been successfully achieved. And the customisation of the Single Window platform has commenced,” he said.
