REVOLUTIONIZING TRADE: EXPERTS HAILS NATIONAL SINGLE WINDOW INITIATIVE
Experts at a one-day seminar organized by the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN) hailed the National Single Window (NSW) project as a laudable initiative that will revolutionize trade facilitation, foster transparency, combat corruption, and enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s maritime trade sector, ultimately boosting the nation’s economy.
Experts and ports industry stakeholders at a one-day seminar organized by the Maritime Journalists’ Association of Nigeria (MAJAN) at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, shared a common view on the importance of the National Single Window in enhancing trade facilitation efficiency. The seminar’s theme, “Transforming Trade Facilitation: Role of National Single Window in Enhancing Efficiency,” was commended by Dr. Eugene Nweke, a former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freig Forwarders (NAGAFF) and Chairman of the event. Dr. Nweke praised MAJAN for hosting a timely and relevant program, noting that while trade is meant to promote global peace, its impact on peace in Nigeria was questionable. He stated that the National Single Window Project is an initiative that can transform trade in Nigeria and bring about significant transformation to Nigeria economy if taken seriously.
Dr. Eugene Nweke expressed concern that the National Single Window initiative is being politicized rather than embraced, despite its potential to enhance trade facilitation and transparency. He believes the project will bring significant improvements to port operations in Nigeria if implemented effectively. Meanwhile, Mr. Tola Fakolade, Project Lead of the NSW initiative, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving Nigeria’s trade environment through the project.
NSW project lead, who was ably represented by a director of the project, Mr Peter Ekunkoya, described NSW project as a transformational initiative of the current administration, aimed at enhancing economic efficiency and trade competitiveness.
”The National Single Window Project is designed to be a centralised, digital platform for submission, processing, and approval of trade related documentation. By linking various government agencies, importers, and service providers, we aim to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with import and export activities,” Fakolade stated. He emphasised the administration’s bold vision to reduce clearance times for Import and export from an average of 10 to18 days down to just 24 hours.
According to him, the initiative is expected to enhance transparency, streamline processes, and improve Nigeria’s business environment, making it more attractive for foreign direct investment and contributing to GDP growth. Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s formal inauguration of the project on April 16, 2024, stakeholders have begun developing the framework and governance structure necessary for successful implementation. Acknowledging historical challenges in Nigeria’s trade system, such as long clearance times and poor coordination among regulatory agencies, Fakolade said that the NSW platform will address these inefficiencies by enabling seamless access to trade information and documentation.
He described the project as a ‘groundbreaking journey’ that will modernize Nigeria’s trade processes and position the country at the forefront of global trade facilitation. He stressed that the success of the project hinges on collaboration among key agencies and enabling infrastructure to meet international standards. Fakolade thanked stakeholders for their dedication, noting the President’s commitment to making this project a legacy of the current administration, with all involved leaving a lasting impact.
Therefore, he called for unity and commitment, encouraging stakeholders to embrace the opportunities presented by the NSW project for national prosperity.
In a keynote address titled, The Role of NSW in Enhancing Economic Efficiency”. Peter Ekunkoya gave an overview of what the team has done and what to expect next. He said the NSW is a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents with a single-entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit related regulatory requirements.
The key features of the initiative according to Ekunkoya are single interface, data sharing, transparency, e-payment and risk management. He pointed out that the project has saved Singapore around $1bn per year, adding that since 2014, the cost saving to the economy of Kenya through the initiative amount to about 22.5m per year.
He noted that the system will reduce average time it takes to clear goods from the ports from 18 days to 1day, reduce the amount of time of time it takes to export goods from 11 days to 1day, reduces percentage of containers that are physically inspected by agencies from 90% to 25% and also reduces clearing charges, demuurage and other fees by at least 50%.
Ekunkoya technically pointed out that the project will streamline trade processes, enhance documentation, harmonization, and help to achieve pre-arrival processing, adding that the system will help to achieve 100% electronic payment and also leverage Customs Post Clearance Audit.
He said team are working assiduously to ensure that the system works by engaging relevant stakeholders and government agencies. “We have selected Crimson logic (Singapore) as the preferred technology vendor for the National Single Window solution implementation. The next step is to finalise the vendor selection process and obtain FEC approval, he said.
About The Author
