Stakeholders said there are unresolved structural and inter-agency issues that could translate into losses for importers and the wider economy if not resolved before the rollout of the National Single Window (NSW).

They expressed fear that the NSW scheduled to take off in March 2026, to streamline port operations, could pose a challenge if the current multiplicity of regulatory interfaces is not eliminated.

This was stated yesterday at the 10th Yearly Seminar for Maritime Journalists and the Launch of the Centre for Maritime Media and Capacity Development in Lagos.

The Chief Executive Officer of Wealthy Honey Investment, Dr Kayode Farinto, said past digital transitions had come at a high cost.

Farinto also highlighted cost burdens imposed by regulatory agencies, citing examination fees charged by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) despite offshore certification.

He said importers are charged between N3,000 and N7,000 per container for examinations, even when conformity certificates have already been issued, a practice he described as discouraging trade and encouraging circumvention.

Farinto also decried port police interventions in cleared goods, warning that higher or arbitrary intervention rates risk encouraging extortion and undermining trade facilitation.

The National Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Segun Oduntan, speaking through the Chief Executive Officer of SULA Logistics Limited, Suleiman Ayokunle, pointed out that despite the concept of a single window, operators still contend with several government regulatory agency platforms, alongside multiple internal windows covering enforcement, scanning, gate operations and cargo clearing processes.

Oduntan recalled the launch of various digital platforms by agencies for clearing processes, noting that the immediate aftermath was severe, as cargo evacuation from the port was completely stalled for about three weeks.

He noted that such teething problems are often inevitable with technology-driven reforms but warned that their economic consequences can be far-reaching if not properly managed.

Highlighting the cost implications of these overlaps, Oduntan drew attention to recurring disputes between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Maritime Police.

He explained that on a vessel carrying about 1,000 cargoes, fewer than 200 typically pass without complications, as complaints are often exchanged between the two agencies, while resolving the disputes takes a minimum of four days.