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The League of Maritime Editors has identified the full, real-time deployment of the National Single Window (NSW) as a defining reform that could determine Nigeria’s trade competitiveness and blue economy growth in 2026, urging the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to move decisively from phased implementation to visible, measurable execution.
In a strong signal of its 2026 media focus, the editors said an operational NSW would significantly cut port delays, block revenue leakages, enhance transparency, and lower the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports. They warned that without seamless inter-agency integration and live processing, Nigeria risks losing cargo traffic to more efficient regional maritime hubs.
Disclosing this in a statement signed by the League’s President, Mrs. Remi Itie, Secretary General, Felix Kumuyi, and Public Relations Officer, Francis Ugwoke, the group stressed that the NSW must transition beyond pilot stages into a fully integrated platform linking all port, border, and trade-related agencies in real time.
According to the editors, the credibility of Nigeria’s trade facilitation reforms will largely depend on the NCS’s ability to deliver a system that unifies customs clearance, permits, payments, risk management, and cargo release processes on a single digital interface.
Beyond the National Single Window, the League said 2026 must be defined by concrete performance across the wider maritime ecosystem if the sector is to assume a central role in national economic growth.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the editors noted, must accelerate port modernization, automation, and green port investments to improve efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness, particularly as regional ports continue to upgrade infrastructure and attract transit cargo.
The League also called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to intensify its focus on maritime safety and security, alongside the full and practical implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions, stressing that safety compliance remains fundamental to investor confidence and international credibility.
On economic regulation, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was urged to deepen tariff transparency, enforce fair pricing mechanisms, and protect cargo owners from arbitrary charges, as part of efforts to stabilise port costs and improve the ease of doing business.
For inland waterways, the editors emphasized that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) must urgently enhance operational safety to reduce boat mishaps and casualties, while sustaining dredging, channel monitoring, and compliance enforcement to unlock the commercial potential of inland transport.
Human capital development was also flagged as a critical pillar of the 2026 growth agenda, with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) challenged to improve training quality and global relevance. The League said media coverage will track simulator training outcomes, STCW compliance, cadet competence, and employer feedback to ensure training translates into employable skills.
The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN) was tasked with reinventing its relevance by rebuilding stakeholder trust, strengthening professional standards, and expanding capacity-building initiatives. The League said attention will be paid to the “Freight Forwarders 2.0” framework, including continuous professional development hours, certifications, and compliance audits.
According to the group, 2026 must be a year of delivery rather than declarations, marked by measurable cost efficiencies, tangible outputs, and higher growth margins across the maritime value chain, with the media committed to sustained accountability and solution-driven engagement.
