The Federal Government has commenced the National Single Window (NSW) User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with the first cohort of participating stakeholders to ensure the unified and technology-driven trade ecosystem becomes operational by March 2026.
The technology vendor CrimsonLogic, yesterday, walked each agency and stakeholder through NSW’s onboarding process, system navigation features and the operational framework designed to streamline the country’s trade processes.
The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, yesterday, visited the UAT grounds to assess progress.
Representatives from key regulatory and trade bodies that participated in the inaugural session included the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) as well as importers, exporters, clearing agents, freight forwarders.
The engagement allowed the organisations to test functionalities, validate workflows, and align on expectations ahead of the platform’s deployment.
The commencement of testing brings Nigeria closer to making the NSW operational with the aim of harmonising documentation, cutting trade costs and eliminating duplication.
The visit demonstrated the strong commitment of the Federal Government to ensuring the successful implementation of the NSW initiative, which aims to transform Nigeria’s trade ecosystem through a unified digital platform.
During the tour, the minister and the FIRS Chairman visited each breakout room, engaging directly with participating agencies to better understand their experiences during the testing phase.
The Minister of Finance and the FIRS Chairman expressed satisfaction with the progress of the UAT sessions and commended the collaborative effort among agencies.
They reaffirmed the government’s commitment to driving a modern, transparent, and technology-driven trade environment for Nigeria.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, at the opening ceremony of the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Summit on Monday in Abuja, assured over 30 African countries present that the NSW was set to go live in March 2026.
Tinubu said the NSW will significantly reduce clearance timelines from 21 days to below seven, thereby fully aligning the country with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) digital trade requirements and positioning Nigeria as a standard-setter in port automation.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, CRFFN, Kingsley Igwe, had at a stakeholders’ engagement forum jointly organised by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Single Window Secretariat in Lagos, states that the digital system has already been adopted in Singapore, South Korea and Rwanda to integrate all trade-related agencies and processes into a unified digital system, cutting down duplication, paperwork and delays.
Igwe outlined the economic benefits of its full adoption, such as reducing logistics costs by up to 25–30 per cent, while boosting the country’s competitiveness in global trade and attracting new investments.
He added that the system would empower manufacturers through faster clearance of raw materials and equipment, help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) scale their operations by simplifying access to trade tools, and enable freight forwarders to enjoy digitally tracked consignments with fewer operational bottlenecks.
“The National Single Window will lower the cost of doing business, enhance supply chain visibility and give Nigeria a stronger footing in the global market,” Igwe added.
