The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) have introduced a user experience diary, a real-time reporting tool designed to generate actionable data to assist regulators and policymakers in identifying inefficiencies, addressing bottlenecks and improving cargo clearance on the National Single Window (NSW) platform.

The platform, developed by CRFFN in collaboration with MACN and the Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), will leverage digital tools to capture data on service failures, including patterns, timelines and locations, thereby enhancing transparency, accountability and strengthening regulatory oversight.

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of CRFFN, Kingsley Igwe, explained that the User Experience Diary, alongside a Complaint and Feedback Portal, would enable stakeholders to document their experiences along the cargo clearance chain as well as report operational bottlenecks, infractions, inefficiencies and delays in real time.

Speaking at the unveiling of the platform in Lagos during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement, Igwe said it would support ongoing reforms targeted at reducing costs and delays in cargo clearance as well as eliminating process fragmentation.

He said data generated would also support enforcement actions by providing verifiable evidence of infractions within the cargo clearance chain.

“This is a proactive initiative. We anticipated that there could be lapses or downtime, and there was a need for a backup where users can log their experiences and ensure that issues are not lost in the process,” he said.

The Lead for West and Central Africa at MACN, Maria Gowon, highlighted the critical role of collaboration and digital reporting in driving reforms of ports.

She stressed that the previous successes in tackling inefficiencies and corruption on vessels were largely driven by structured reporting systems that transformed individual complaints into credible data for decision-making.

According to Gowon, the introduction of the User Experience Diary extends this approach to cargo clearance operations on land, while empowering operators to contribute to evidence-based reforms.

She urged stakeholders to actively utilise the tool, emphasising that data remains the foundation for meaningful change in the maritime sector.

Technical Adviser on Maritime to CBI, Moses Fadipe, said the structure was conceived ahead of time, as a safeguard against possible system failures or downtime that may be associated with the NSW.

Fadipe explained that while the NSW is designed to integrate and digitise cargo clearance procedures, the reality of implementation challenges made it necessary to develop a parallel support structure.

According to him, the structured platform allows freight forwarders and other port users to document complaints, report inefficiencies and escalate unresolved issues in real time.

He stressed that the absence of such a mechanism in the past left many stakeholders without a reliable channel to seek redress during system breakdowns.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of CBI, Soji Apampa, reinforced the importance of data and collective action, noting that sustained reporting efforts have led to a significant decline in extortion cases within Nigerian ports.

Apampa added that interventions by MACN and its partners have helped industry players save over $300,000 in avoided extortion demands, underscoring the tangible benefits of transparency-driven initiatives.

He also stressed the need for widespread adoption of data tools such as the User Experience Diary, noting that collective reporting across the ecosystem would produce credible evidence capable of influencing policy decisions.

Earlier, the Director of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, who was represented by the NSW Stakeholder and Change Lead, Ayo Ojeniyi, said the platform is a unified digital system designed to integrate multiple government agencies into a single interface for trade processes.

He explained that the NSW would eliminate multiple channels of engagement, enable single submission of documents and improve transparency through harmonised data sharing and centralised risk management.

Fakolade added that the Federal Government is targeting a reduction in cargo clearance time from the current 12 to 21 days to 24 hours in the medium term, alongside efforts to lower costs and improve overall efficiency.