On March 27, Nigeria will formally introduce a digital commerce platform called the National Single Window (NSW).
The NSW is an electronic portal that connects all organizations involved in import and export procedures to a single, integrated platform.
It has its headquarters at the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
The date was announced by the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ meeting at the State House in Abuja, which was attended by ministers, agency heads, and other important officials.
The president’s special adviser, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement that the chief of staff called the action a “monumental” step in changing the nation’s commerce ecology.
He said that the program, which was first introduced by President Bola Tinubu almost two years ago, is a comprehensive fiscal reform that will increase Nigeria’s competitiveness, expedite trade procedures, and boost efficiency.
“This administration is going to implement yet another reform, fiscal reform, which will be extremely transformative by nature,” Gbajabiamila declared.
As the name implies, there is only one national window rather than several separate windows.
“The purpose of this meeting is to assess our progress and obtain your commitment to ensure a seamless transition.”
“Pilot testing will start soon, and user training is ongoing.”
The NSW coordinator, Tola Fakolade, called on participating agencies to step up their support in the last 23 days leading up to the planned launch.
According to Fakolade, the platform’s initial phase will allow for the adoption of a centralized risk management system, electronic submission of cargo manifests, and online processing of import licenses.
In order to guarantee a seamless deployment, he continued, pilot testing will shortly start and nationwide user training is currently underway.
Cargo manifests will be uploaded electronically and sent to the appropriate agencies automatically, without human interaction, according to the NSW coordinator.
The assistance we require from every agency is now even more crucial. Fakolade stated, “Documents will be shared with all pertinent agencies once and submitted without duplication.”
Wale Edun, the coordinating minister of finance and the economy, also spoke and reiterated the ministry’s dedication to the initiative.
The effort, according to Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, commerce, and investment, is a crucial component of the administration’s reform program.
She declared that the project is long overdue and promised to work with pertinent organizations to raise awareness among importers, exporters, and merchants over the course of the next three weeks.
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, also promised the bank’s assistance, pointing out the necessity of reducing Nigeria’s trade facilitation deficit with other nations.
In a similar vein, Zacch Adedeji, chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, demanded more political will and cooperation to guarantee implementation success.
The minister of industry, trade, and investment should oversee the 23-day implementation phase, according to Adedeji.
The project is a historic milestone, according to Bashir Adeniyi, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), who also stated that the service will keep up direct communication with stakeholders to guarantee a successful deployment.
The minister of industry, trade, and investment was tasked with leading the implementation phase prior to the launch on March 27 at the conclusion of the meeting, according to the statement.
The Nigerian Standards Organization (SON), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NQS), and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) were among the other organizations represented at the meeting.
