By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
THE NATIONAL Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee has been instructed by President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the digital trade facilitation platform becomes fully operational by the first quarter of 2026.
The directive was conveyed during the committee’s fifth meeting at the State House, Abuja, where the President was represented by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.
He reiterated the administration’s commitment to accelerating key economic reforms aimed at positioning Nigeria towards its $1 trillion economy target.
Gbajabiamila stated that the recent Tax Reform Acts, signed into law in June, had heightened the urgency to implement measures that consolidate financial and trade reform efforts. He called for unwavering focus and coordination across all participating agencies to meet the rollout deadline.
“The National Single Window is one of the transformative initiatives of Mr President. We must ensure it is effectively and commendably implemented. The first phase must go live as scheduled in Q1 2026,” Gbajabiamila said.
He underscored the platform’s potential to simplify Nigeria’s import and export operations, reduce trade costs, improve transparency, and enhance the country’s global business standing.
All government agencies involved were urged to refine their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and sustain progress since the last committee meeting held on 8 April 2025.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, acknowledged the progress made but cautioned against complacency. He emphasised the need to move from strategy to implementation, describing the project as complex yet fundamentally transformational.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, reiterated the importance of meeting the 2026 first-quarter deadline. She charged the committee to intensify efforts and ensure the digital platform launches without delay.
Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, expressed appreciation for the President’s sustained support, noting the legal integration of the project into the national framework. He affirmed the committee’s commitment to achieving the implementation timelines.
Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, confirmed that all key milestones for the second quarter of 2025 had been achieved and the platform’s customisation phase was underway.
He gave assurances that the committee remained aligned with the expected timeline.
The NSW initiative, launched in April 2024, is designed to streamline Nigeria’s trade ecosystem by consolidating the operations of all import and export-related agencies into a single electronic platform.
The project is anticipated to reduce processing delays, increase operational efficiency at ports, and significantly improve transparency in cross-border trade transactions.
The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria Customs Service, and FIRS.
