By Omoniyi David
Director of the National Single Window (NSW), Project, Tola Fakolade, has said the initiative recently approved by President Bola Tinubu is crucial to achieving Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target by 2030 and strengthening trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt for the South-South and South-East business community, Fakolade described the project as a game changer that will simplify trade, cut bureaucracy, and improve transparency.
He explained that the NSW is a digital platform allowing traders, importers, exporters, and government agencies to process all documentation through a single portal, eliminating delays at ports and borders while ensuring compliance.
Fakolade commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other agencies for supporting the project, noting that it will integrate all players in the trade value chain and prevent duplication of efforts.
The meeting, organised by the NSW Project in collaboration with NCS and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), drew stakeholders from across the regions.
Registrar of CRFFN, Kingsley Igwe, urged participants to prepare for onboarding training, while Customs Zonal Coordinator, ACG Mohammed Kamal, encouraged full participation to enjoy benefits such as faster clearance and reduced costs.
Fakolade added that lessons from countries like Singapore and Kenya are being adapted to position Nigeria as Africa’s trade hub, assuring that the NSW will “make Nigeria a new destination for business.”
