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Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) has processed 156,026 licences, permits and certificates since its 27 March launch, the project team said, as it moves to extend the platform to exporters.
The Project Director, NSW, Mr. Tola Fakolade, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday after concluding a stakeholders engagement on Phase 1 results and preparations for Phase 2.
More than 12,000 importers, customs agents, shipping lines, airlines and freight forwarders have registered on the platform. Five government agencies are fully onboarded, and over 8,000 users have been trained. The team reported overall uptime of 99.98 per cent and described adoption as strong.
The approvals include 104,956 processed through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and 50,622 through NAFDAC. The platform has also handled 3,964 cargo manifests, made up of 3,596 air manifests from 27 airlines and 368 sea manifests from 56 shipping lines.
All airlines and air cargo companies are onboarded, but only 56 of the 88 shipping lines are live so far. Applications, approvals and payments for NAFDAC, SON, NAQS and NESREA now run fully on the platform.
Two dates matter for traders with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) onboarding for Ship Entry Notice submission is in progress, with the service due to go live on November 16. Harmonised HS Codes, agreed with agencies including Customs, are expected on both the NSW platform and B’Odogwu by November 2026.
Phase 2 is already under way, with delivery scheduled between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027. It will add export licences, certificates and permits, Forms NXP and NCX, export manifests and Import Duty Exemption Certificates. It will also cover Free Trade Zone permits and payments for export-related approvals.
The first batch, due in the fourth quarter of 2026, includes the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Federal Produce Inspection Service, the Registered Exporter System, SON, NAFDAC and NACCIMA.
The second batch, due in the first quarter of 2027, brings in the Central Bank of Nigeria, Customs, NAQS, the Ministries of Livestock Development, Marine and Blue Economy and Finance, and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority.
The team said Phase 2 has moved through current-state assessment, technology readiness checks, design and system customisation. User acceptance testing, pilots and end-user training will follow before go-live.
Phase 3 is projected for the third and fourth quarters of 2027. It is expected to introduce Customs Declaration submission, Form M applications and approvals, oil and gas processes, Advanced Risk Analytics and a Trade Visualisation System.
Stakeholders were encouraged to keep engaging with the platform, and help desk contacts were provided for users who need support.
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Title: National Single Window Clears 156,026 Trade Permits in Six Months
Alternative title: Nigeria’s National Single Window Hits 156,026 Approvals as Phase 2 Targets Exporters
Meta description: Nigeria’s National Single Window has processed 156,026 permits since March, with 99.98% uptime. Phase 2 will add export licences from Q4 2026
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Keywords: National Single Window, NSW Nigeria, trade facilitation, Phase 2 export licences, Ship Entry Notice, HS Codes Harmonisation, B’Odogwu SON, NAFDAC, Nigeria Customs Service
Tags: National Single Window, Trade Facilitation, Customs, Exports, Ports, NAFDAC, SON, Maritime
Image alt text: Project team briefing journalists on the National Single Window platform in Abuja
