Nigeria is set to overhaul its import and export processes with the planned rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) Project, a digital trade platform designed to reduce clearance time, lower costs, and improve transparency across the country’s ports. The project is scheduled to launch in March 2026.
Speaking at a media parley with the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) in Lagos on Monday, Tola Fakolade, Director of the NSW Project, described the initiative as a long-term reform aimed at resetting how trade is conducted in Nigeria. He cautioned that the full benefits of the platform would not be immediate.
“We are laying the right foundation and putting the right processes in place, and starting that journey,” Fakolade said. “I would believe that those improvements gradually will compound over time, and it will help us to get to our destination.”
Fakolade emphasized that expectations should be realistic at launch. “The day we launch, we’re not saying all issues in the import and export ecosystem will disappear. It doesn’t work that way. But it’s laying the right foundation, and we need to ensure that we all work together to drive adoption of the system,” he added.
The NSW Project is expected to bring greater efficiency to Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, creating a more predictable and transparent environment for businesses and investors while supporting the government’s broader economic reform agenda.
