Nigeria’s ambitious drive to digitise trade and streamline cargo clearance is gathering pace, with the National Single Window platform recording more than 7,500 users just eight weeks after its launch, in what officials describe as a strong early signal of industry adoption.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Director of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, said the platform has onboarded 7,567 users since going live on 27 March 2026, as importers, freight operators and customs agents increasingly migrate to the government’s centralised trade portal.
According to Fakolade, the users include 6,935 importers, 359 clearing agents, 169 licensed customs agents and 104 freight forwarders, alongside other private-sector players operating across Nigeria’s trade and logistics ecosystem. The platform has also processed 39,039 submissions for licences, permits, certificates and other regulatory documents, underscoring the growing reliance on the system for cargo documentation and approvals.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria accounted for the bulk of the submissions with 30,937 applications, followed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control with 7,942. The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency received 138 submissions, while the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service processed 22.
Fakolade said the aviation cargo segment has also begun integrating with the system, with seven airlines and courier operators already submitting air cargo manifests through the platform. DHL recorded the highest volume with 121 submissions, while Ethiopian Airlines submitted eight manifests.
Fakolade said government agencies participating in the scheme have also undergone specialised training to equip officials with responsibilities tied to application reviews, approvals, escalations and user support services. Despite the early progress, the rollout was not without setbacks.
Fakolade acknowledged that the platform experienced several technical and operational challenges in April, including payment difficulties, low user compliance, data migration problems, uncertainty among importers over documentation requirements, bottlenecks linked to NAFDAC applications, HS code discrepancies and overlapping regulatory functions among agencies.
He, however, insisted most of the issues had now been resolved, adding that the system had shown significant improvement in recent weeks. “There were challenges in April, but we should not be having them in May because we have dealt with the issues and they are improving,” he said.
Fakolade disclosed that the next phase of the rollout would begin within two months and would require all airlines and shipping lines to submit manifests through the National Single Window platform. Authorities also plan to address longstanding overlaps in HS code classifications among government agencies as part of the next implementation stage.