President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee to ensure the platform becomes fully operational by the first quarter of 2026.
The President, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the directive during the fifth steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He said the recent Tax Reform Acts, signed into law in June, underscored the urgency of accelerating reforms and driving Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target.
Gbajabiamila emphasised the importance of financial and trade reforms in transforming the national economy.
“It’s important that we continue to stay focused on this project so that, at the end of the day, we meet our timelines and achieve the results the President expects.
“As you all are aware, the project is one of the transformative initiatives of Mr President which we collectively must ensure is effectively and commendably implemented,” he stated.
The Chief of Staff also highlighted the role of a unified electronic platform in simplifying Nigeria’s import and export operations, boosting investment, increasing trade revenues, improving transparency, and strengthening Nigeria’s global business standing.
He tasked all agencies to refine their targets and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure the Phase 1 deadline is met.
“I do expect that since the last meeting of the steering committee, which was held on the 8th April 2025, all stakeholders have operated and actively progressed with all the required KPIs and set targets to ensure that we go live with Phase 1 in Q1 2026 as was previously scheduled,” he added.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described the progress made so far as encouraging but called for accelerated execution.
“We need to move from strategy to concrete implementation. This project is complex but transformational,” he charged.
Edun urged stronger collaboration among committee members to resolve final hurdles and meet the rollout timeline.
Also speaking, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, called on the committee to work diligently and meet the Q1 2026 deadline without fail.
Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, expressed gratitude to the President for his steadfast support.
“Thank you on behalf of the steering committee. We thank you for the relentless support that you have given to us.
“And to all my colleagues here, we can see that the reward for hard work is more work. When we started last month, it is now law; the single window is now in the law,” he said, urging members to remain focused on the mission ahead.
Director of the National Single Window (NSW) Project, Tola Fakolade, briefed the meeting on the committee’s progress towards implementation.
“All second quarter 2025 key project milestones have been successfully achieved. And the customisation of the Single Window platform has commenced,” he reported.
Fakolade assured the committee of the project’s timely delivery.
The National Single Window project, launched in April 2024, is a Federal Government initiative to streamline trade processes by creating a centralised electronic platform for importers and exporters.
It is designed to reduce trade costs, minimise delays, and enhance transparency and efficiency at Nigeria’s ports by consolidating all import and export agencies onto a single portal.
Committee members include representatives from the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, FIRS, and the Nigeria Customs Service.
PIAK