The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the National Single Window project, reaffirming its leadership role in advancing Nigeria’s trade modernisation and digital transformation agenda.
The Service stated this in a statement on Saturday by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, a Deputy Controller of Customs.
The statement added that while speaking during a stakeholder engagement with airline and shipping line operators in Abuja on Monday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the importance of collaboration in ensuring the successful rollout of the initiative.
Adeniyi noted that the support of critical stakeholders has played a significant role in the achievements recorded in the service’s modernisation journey so far.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has mandated the Service to take a bold step towards a successful launch of the NSW, adding that the move is aimed at positioning Nigeria as a major player in global trade.
The CGC stressed that airline and shipping line operators remain vital partners in ensuring a seamless transition to the new system, assuring stakeholders that adequate support structures are being put in place to ease the migration process.
“A help desk with well-trained personnel will be available to address any operational challenges that may arise during the rollout,” Adeniyi stated.
Earlier, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Information and Communication Technology and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the NSW as a “major milestone in the service’s ongoing modernisation drive”.
She revealed that the NCS has been actively engaged in preparatory work for months to ensure that the framework being developed reflects operational realities and supports seamless implementation.
“This is a national project, but Customs is at the centre of its execution. 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,” Adebakin said.
She reassured officers and stakeholders that the initiative is designed to strengthen institutional capacity rather than replace human resources, explaining that technology will 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, acknowledged the pivotal leadership of the NCS in the implementation process.
“Our number one stakeholder is the NCS,” Fakolade said. “We have maintained a strong and constructive working relationship. Customs’ participation and institutional experience are critical to the success of this project.”
With the NCS spearheading coordination and stakeholder engagement, the NSW project is expected to transform Nigeria’s trade environment, enhance revenue generation, and strengthen the country’s position in the global trading community.
Earlier, at an awareness programme held on Monday, 3 March 2025, the Service rallied stakeholders and partner agencies behind the initiative, describing the NSW as a strategic reform that aligns with the Customs mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation, and inter-agency coordination.
