Tola Fakolade: National Single Window Platform Now Fully Operational

• Portal simplifies trade, processes import licences, permits, certificates, cargo manifests seamlessly

James Emejo in Abuja

Director of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, yesterday declared that the National Single Window (NSW) project has moved decisively from development into full-scale operations.

By this, he said the country had taken a decisive leap toward seamless trade facilitation as the NSW platform enables importers and exporters to process import licences, permits, and certificates entirely through a single digital portal.

Speaking during a live demonstration held at the NSW operations centre in Apapa, Fakolde said, “This is no longer a concept, it is live, active, and delivering results.”

He noted that the demonstration underscored the platform’s core capabilities including electronic submission, transmission to border systems, and the generation of rotation numbers.

He described the DHL activation as a critical proof point in demonstrating how logistics operators and regulatory agencies can leverage the platform to simplify cargo clearance, eliminate delays, and deepen transparency across Nigeria’s trade value chain.

Fakolade further emphasized the strength of collaboration driving the project.

He said, “In the beginning, we could have some issues here and there, but what is important is that the technical teams are there to resolve them. We saw clear evidence of collaboration among stakeholders, and that collaboration is what has brought us to this point.”

He urged stakeholders nationwide to remain patient and committed as the system scales, noting that such teething challenges are typical of major digital transformations globally.

The Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the Go-live as a landmark success of the current administration which seeks to empower the trade community in a way yet to be experienced.

She assured stakeholders that integrated technical teams, including the Customs Single Window unit, NSW engineers, and Trade Modernisation Project personnel, are working round the clock to ensure seamless functionality.

Adebakin highlighted the broader economic implications, noting that the NSW, alongside the B’Odogwu system, will significantly improve efficiency for traders and unlock measurable gains for the Nigerian economy. She added that the platform positions Nigeria to fully capitalize on opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area, enhancing its competitiveness across the continent.

Also lending institutional backing, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho, described the initiative as a transformational leap for port operations.

Represented by General Manager, Oladapo Fatai, Dantsoho noted that the NSW will drastically reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and eliminate the need for port users to shuttle between multiple offices for documentation.

He said, “With multiple agencies now integrated into a single digital ecosystem, documentation and responses can be processed in a coordinated and efficient manner.”

At the aviation end, the Director of Cargo Development and Services at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Lekan Thomas, projected significant gains in cargo efficiency, security, and data-driven planning.

He emphasized that the platform will tackle longstanding inefficiencies in cargo handling while reducing dwell time; a critical factor in improving Nigeria’s logistics competitiveness.

Thomas further highlighted one of the system’s most transformative features: unified data integration across agencies.

He said, “For years, inconsistencies in cargo and revenue data have limited effective planning. With NSW, we now have a single source of truth that will empower better decision-making, boost revenue, and strengthen national economic performance.”

On the private sector front, the Managing Director of DHL, Muyiwa Adejeyoju, expressed pride in the company’s early adoption of the platform.

He noted that the initiative aligns with DHL’s global mission of connecting people and improving lives, while reaffirming the company’s commitment to regulatory compliance and trade facilitation.

“We are proud to be part of this accreditation process and the rollout of a system that will redefine trade in Nigeria. DHL remains committed to supporting the government’s vision for a more efficient and modern trade environment,” he stated.

With its successful first transactions now completed, the National Single Window signals the dawn of a new era, one defined by speed, transparency, coordination, and global competitiveness.

As Nigeria accelerates toward a fully digitized trade ecosystem, the message is clear: the future of trade is here, and it is unified.

However, stakeholders witnessed how these critical regulatory approvals—previously handled across multiple touchpoints, can now be initiated, processed, and approved within one unified system.

The demonstration clearly distinguished the streamlined workflow: import licences are now digitally applied for and approved within the system; regulatory permits are issued through integrated agency interfaces; and compliance certificates are generated and validated in real time.

The harmonised process eliminates duplication, reduces human interface, and ensures that all trade documentation is standardised, traceable, and accessible on demand.

The milestone marked a bold step forward in Nigeria’s ambition to digitize its trade ecosystem, following the official go-live of the platform on March 27, 2026, as promised and delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Participants at the Apapa session observed how the platform synchronises documentation across the trade value chain, significantly cutting down processing time and improving transparency. The system’s ability to consolidate approvals into a single digital window marks a shift from fragmentation to coordination—bringing clarity, predictability, and efficiency to Nigeria’s import and export processes.

At a separate live activation at the DHL facility near Lagos Airport, attention shifted to the electronic submission and transmission of cargo manifest through the same platform. The exercise demonstrated how logistics operators can upload cargo manifests digitally, transmit them directly into the system, and generate rotation numbers in real time, ensuring faster processing and alignment with border control systems.