FG Targets 2026 for Full Implementation of National Single Window to Boost Port Efficiency
The Federal Government plans to fully implement the National Single Window system across Nigeria’s ports by 2026.
The project aims to cut cargo clearance time and boost port efficiency nationwide.
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to launch the National Single Window (NSW) system across Nigeria’s ports by 2026, a move expected to transform trade facilitation and enhance port efficiency nationwide.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this known during the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He described the initiative as a “game changer” that would harmonize documentation, reduce human interference, and promote transparency in cargo clearance.
Shettima explained that the government’s main goal is to reduce cargo clearance time to less than seven days by the end of 2026 and position Nigeria’s ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways in Africa. The Vice President said the full rollout of the NSW system in the first quarter of 2026 would mark a major step toward modernizing port operations.
According to him, inefficiencies in the current system have made the cost of clearing goods in Nigeria about 30 percent higher than in neighboring countries. He warned that such delays discourage investment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the country’s export competitiveness.
“Our ports record cargo dwell times 475 percent above the global average benchmark. We cannot afford to continue down this path,” Shettima said.
He directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and other key agencies such as NAFDAC and SON to jointly establish a standard framework for weights and measures to ensure fairness in trade and protect consumers from fraud.
The Vice President expressed optimism that the pending Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s approval, would eliminate long-standing bottlenecks in port operations. “It marks the dawn of a new era where agencies work together and systems speak a common language,” he said.
Shettima also urged all port-related agencies, including Customs, NPA, NDLEA, SON, Immigration, and Quarantine, to operate as a unified value chain. “Inter-agency rivalry must give way to collaboration. Our efficiency depends on how well we work together,” he added.
Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zahrah Audu, noted that inefficient port processes have hurt Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business ranking and called for stronger cooperation among stakeholders.
Similarly, NPA Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho emphasized that true efficiency could only be achieved through synergy. He said ongoing joint inspection and boarding exercises were already yielding progress and listed technology adoption, infrastructure upgrades, and human capacity development as key priorities for improving Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
