The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has welcomed the Federal Government’s planned launch of Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) trade platform, describing it as one of the most consequential economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration
In a statement signed by its Chairman Ahmad Sajoh and Secretary Danjuma Sada, the group described it as a major step toward transforming Nigeria into a globally competitive trading economy.
The Forum said: “The National Single Window represents a decisive break from Nigeria’s historically fragmented and paper-heavy trade system by introducing a unified digital platform through which importers, exporters and logistics operators can submit trade documentation once and have it securely shared across relevant government agencies.
“We are convinced that this ‘submit once, process everywhere’ model will significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long slowed cargo clearance at Nigeria’s seaports, airports and land borders.
“Available trade data show that businesses currently face an average compliance timeline of about 362 hours—approximately 15 days—for imports, while export documentation and border processes take about 202 hours or over eight days.”
With the introduction of the National Single Window and integrated risk-management systems, TSF projects that these timelines could decrease by approximately 60 per cent within the first two years of implementation.
“This would reduce average import processing time to about six days, while export procedures could drop to three to four days, dramatically improving the speed and reliability of Nigeria’s trade logistics.
“For importers and exporters, time is money. Every day cargo spends trapped in bureaucratic processes translates to higher prices for consumers and reduced competitiveness for Nigerian businesses,” it noted.
The economic savings from the reform are also expected to be substantial.
“Current estimates show that businesses spend an average of $1,641 per shipment on import compliance costs and $1,036 on export documentation and border procedures, excluding tariffs and inland transport costs.
“With the digitalisation and simplification of trade procedures under the National Single Window, we estimate that direct compliance costs could decline by about 15 per cent, saving businesses roughly $246 per import transaction and about $155 per export transaction.
“Across Nigeria’s vast trade ecosystem, these reductions could translate into billions of naira in annual savings for manufacturers, importers, exporters, logistics companies and small businesses.
“The reform is also expected to significantly strengthen government revenue collection.
“By digitising documentation processes, integrating cargo data across agencies and limiting opportunities for manipulation of trade paperwork, the system will reduce leakages associated with under-invoicing and documentation fraud.
“Beyond improving efficiency, the National Single Window is also expected to boost Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by making Nigerian exports more competitive across African markets.
Faster and more predictable border processes will lower logistics costs, strengthen supply chains and encourage investment in export-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and solid minerals.
The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum emphasised that the success of the platform will depend on strong collaboration among government agencies and full adoption by private sector stakeholders.
The Forum therefore urged all trade-related institutions and operators to support the implementation process and fully onboard the platform so that Nigerian businesses and consumers can quickly begin to enjoy the benefits of faster and more transparent trade processes.
“The National Single Window is not merely a technology upgrade,” TSF stated.
“It is a structural economic reform capable of unlocking trade efficiency, increasing government revenue, and positioning Nigeria for sustained economic growth in the emerging African trade landscape,” it added.
TSF estimates that if the improved transparency and compliance enabled by the platform help Nigeria recover even 1–3 per cent of potential customs revenue, the country could generate between ₦70 billion and ₦220 billion in additional annual revenue without increasing tariffs.
