The Federal Government has announced plans to block revenue leakages, enforce regulatory compliance, and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks in Nigeria’s export sector with the rollout of the second phase of the National Single Window (NSW) project on December 14, 2026.
​Speaking on Thursday, November 12, 2026, during the Phase 2 Export Sensitisation Joint Stakeholders Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Project Director of the National Single Window, Mr. Tola Fakolade, stated that the unified digital platform will streamline trade documentation and remove the need for exporters to visit multiple government offices or submit duplicate paperwork.
​Fakolade explained that the second phase, being executed in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), will be deployed in two structured batches following an intensive onboarding schedule.
Practical end-user and system training for exporters, clearing agents, and other industry stakeholders will commence on Monday, November 16, 2026, ahead of the first batch go-live on December 14.
That initial rollout will digitise export permits, licences, and Free Trade Zone documentation across key regulatory bodies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS).
The second batch, which will integrate financial and foreign exchange documentation processes handled by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is scheduled to become operational in the first quarter of 2027.
​Highlighting the momentum built during the import-focused first phase, Fakolade revealed that the platform has already processed over 169,211 licences, permits, and certificates, with more than 12,000 importers and agents, 27 airlines, and 20 shipping lines actively onboarded. He noted that centralising submissions on a single portal compels users into full compliance, thereby plugging long-standing revenue leakages in the trade value chain.
He also assured regulatory agencies that the NSW system is designed to enhance inter-agency coordination and Harmonised System (HS) code mapping rather than usurp the statutory mandates, revenues, or jobs of participating institutions.
​Echoing the government’s commitment, the Zonal Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service (Zone A), Assistant Comptroller-General Frank Onyeka, described the platform as critical to Nigeria’s broader export transformation agenda.
Commending President Bola Tinubu and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adeniyi, for championing port modernisation, Onyeka affirmed that Customs is actively training officers and collaborating with port operators to guarantee seamless adoption.
​The Port Harcourt forum featured interactive engagements with prominent industry figures, including the Executive Secretary of the Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM), Mr. Ofon Udofia, and an exporter and traditional ruler from Imo State, HRM Anthony Emeh.
The event follows earlier sensitisation sessions held in Enugu, Akure, Jos, and Lagos, with the project team set to take the campaign to Kano and Abuja in the coming weeks.
