The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts toward the successful implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project, calling for stronger collaboration from stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s trade modernisation and digital transformation agenda.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement with airline and shipping line operators in Abuja on March 4, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the importance of partnership in ensuring the smooth rollout of the initiative.
He noted that the support of critical stakeholders had been instrumental in the achievements recorded so far in the Service’s ongoing modernisation drive.
According to the CGC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Service to take decisive steps towards launching the National Single Window, a project designed to position Nigeria as a competitive player in global trade.
Adeniyi said airline and shipping line operators remain key partners in ensuring a seamless transition to the new digital trade platform.
He assured stakeholders that adequate support structures were being put in place to facilitate the migration process.
“A help desk with well-trained personnel will be available to address any operational challenges that may arise during the rollout,” the Comptroller-General 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’ core mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation and improved inter-agency coordination.
Speaking at the programme, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the NSW as a major milestone in the Service’s modernisation journey.
She said the NCS had been engaged in extensive preparatory work over the past months to ensure the framework 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 added 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 at the programme, the Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, commended the pivotal leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service in driving the implementation process.
“Our number one stakeholder is the NCS. We have maintained a strong and constructive working relationship. Customs’ participation and institutional experience are critical to the success of this project,” Fakolade said.
With the NCS spearheading coordination and stakeholder engagement, the National Single Window project is expected to transform Nigeria’s trade environment, enhance revenue generation and strengthen the country’s position in the global trading community.
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