The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project, calling on key stakeholders to support what it describes as a major reform aimed at transforming Nigeria’s trade and cargo clearance system.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement with airline and shipping line operators in Abuja on March 4, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stressed that strong collaboration among industry players is essential to the smooth rollout of the initiative.
He noted that the backing of critical stakeholders has been instrumental to the milestones already recorded in the Service’s ongoing modernisation drive.
According to the Customs boss, President Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Service to take decisive steps toward launching the NSW, a digital platform designed to streamline trade documentation and position Nigeria more competitively in global commerce.
Adeniyi emphasised that airline and shipping line operators remain vital partners in ensuring a seamless transition to the new system, assuring stakeholders that adequate support structures are being put in place to ease the migration process.
“A help desk with well-trained personnel will be available to address any operational challenges that may arise during the rollout”, he said.
Earlier, at an awareness programme held on March 3, the Service mobilised stakeholders and partner agencies to support the initiative, describing the NSW as a strategic reform aligned with Customs’ core mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation and improved inter-agency coordination.
At the programme, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the project as a major milestone in the Service’s modernisation agenda.
She revealed that the NCS has been engaged in months of preparatory work to ensure the framework being developed reflects operational realities and guarantees seamless implementation.
“This is a national project, but Customs is at the centre of its execution”, Adebakin said.
“The success of the Single Window depends on collective understanding and cooperation. We must all appreciate its value because we cannot effectively promote what we do not fully understand”.
She also reassured officers and stakeholders that the initiative is designed to strengthen institutional capacity rather than replace human resources, explaining that technology will improve efficiency, transparency and speed in cargo clearance and trade documentation processes.
Also speaking, the Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, acknowledged the pivotal leadership role of the Customs Service in driving the implementation process.
“Our number one stakeholder is the NCS”, Fakolade said. “We have maintained a strong and constructive working relationship. Customs’ participation and institutional experience are critical to the success of this project”.
With the NCS spearheading stakeholder engagement and coordination, the NSW initiative is expected to significantly improve Nigeria’s trade environment, boost revenue generation and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in global trade.