Abuja:The National Single Window (NSW) platform has recorded a 20 to 30 percent increase in the issuance of import permits and licenses compared to the same period last year. This growth was announced by Mr. Tola Fakolade, Project Director of NSW, during a news conference on Tuesday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Fakolade attributed this rise to enhanced regulatory compliance facilitated by the platform, which was launched on March 27. Since its inception, the NSW platform has processed over 156,000 import permits and licenses for more than 12,000 registered importers and agents.
The NSW platform, designed to improve compliance and simplify trade procedures, has also trained more than 8,000 users and maintained an uptime of 99.98 percent. Feedback from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Commission (NAFDAC) indicates a significant increase in the number of licenses and permits issued.
The project’s first phase focused on centralizing applications for import permits and licenses, cargo manifest submissions, and regulatory payments. The second phase, expected to begin by the end of 2026, will concentrate on export processes, allowing exporters to apply for necessary licenses and certificates through the platform.
Fakolade noted that initial technical challenges such as data migration and integration issues have been resolved. The platform aims to further enhance user experience through stakeholder engagement and expanded training programs. The full impact on cargo clearance times will be clearer upon the completion of all three phases of the project.
In addition, Mr. Peter Ekunkoya, Director of Operations, stated that agencies already using the platform have eliminated parallel paper-based processes, improving transparency and helping traders understand any delays in processing their documents. The National Single Window project aims to centralize trade-related processes and enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s import and export procedures.