The Importers Association of Nigeria has said they can clear their shipment of goods at ports in as little as three hours and increase turnover as members adopt the National Single Window.
In a phone interview with The PUNCH, President of IMAN, Kingsley Chikezie, said that importers anticipate improved turnover as the project promises to cut the time they spend on shipment clearance.
“Once you enter into the National Single Window, it will increase the revenue generation of the government because there will be significant turnover on the part of the traders due to having a quick delivery period,” Chikezie remarked. “We expect that by registering in NSW, we can hasten the clearance of our shipments that would have taken a long time, sometimes months, and be done within three hours.”
He added that the project also promises to eliminate over-taxation and reduce human intervention in port operations while being expected to increase revenue inflows to the Federal Government.
“We expect the National Single Window will end the era of taxation. Reducing taxation is part of what the government promised us. It is a standard operating practice across the world,” the IMAN president notd. “It will cause a drop in the rate of people entering and coming out of the wharf, reducing human affairs in management. You touch your laptop, and your goods will say successful or not.”
Chikezie maintained that NSW will enable importers to track and start processing their goods as they get close to Nigeria, stating, “You can track your goods as they enter Nigeria and start processing. Once the shipment berths at Nigerian ports, they will check whether you have paid and whether you have your certifications.
“You carry your goods through truckers and bring them to your warehouse. You will not have a serious handicap once your documentation is correct, and in three hours, your goods will be moved into the warehouse.”
IMAN’s president added that the NSW project team proposed a mobile application to enhance the clearance process at Nigerian ports.
He stated, “During our engagement, the National Single Window team showed us an app they are working on. It is a long-term solution app. They want to mitigate all the challenges that could disturb the project.”
Chikezie added that importers expect the NSW project team to introduce the app soon, noting, “The NSW office is still working on the app. They are bringing everybody on board.”
IMAN’s president noted that consultations, held from January to May, will form a committee to holistically assess the NSW, which President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate by June 18.
“The committee comprising the government and the private sector has been selected. The committee will have three months to fine-tune the NSW processes after it is launched,” Chikezie revealed.
IMAN’s president expressed optimism that members’ participation in the NSW will ease trade processes and help importers learn how subscribing to the NSW benefits their margins. “I am sure that by the end of this year, Nigeria will hook up to the NSW project,” he noted. “So, when you want to clear your goods, you don’t need any hassle again.”
According to IMAN, the consultations included delegations from the Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, among others, in the five-month-long engagement.
President Bola Tinubu launched the NSW project in 2024. According to Tinubu, the NSW is meant to “streamline international trade, reduce delays, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness.”
Government officials have ascribed monetary benefits to the NSW project. In January, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, maintained that implementing the project would reduce the cost of doing business at ports, which is 40 per cent higher than in other West African countries, by at least 25 per cent.”
