By Sandra Chukwunyere
The NAGAFF Trade Advocacy Committee (NTAC) of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has expressed concern over the implementation of Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) trade portal.
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The group noted that while the Single Window concept is globally recognised as a tool for improving trade facilitation and speeding up cargo clearance, the current implementation in Nigeria is instead creating serious operational challenges.
According to the association, the system has led to higher costs of doing business, delays in cargo clearance, regulatory inconsistencies, and increasing cases of trade malpractices linked to policy gaps and poor coordination.
NAGAFF recalled that it had earlier recommended key preparatory steps before full implementation, including reforms of the Form M process, development of a proper Port Community System, harmonisation of trade procedures, and elimination of outdated practices. It stated that these recommendations were not fully considered.
The association highlighted several concerns observed since the rollout of the NSW, including:
Ongoing delays in cargo clearance due to unresolved Form M pre-import procedures
A system that appears more focused on revenue generation than trade facilitation
Poor consideration of Nigeria’s specific trade environment
Weak or partial participation by some regulatory agencies
Lack of a true “single source of truth” where data is entered once and shared across agencies
A system that operates more like a document-upload portal than a fully integrated digital platform
Limited API integration between agencies
Additional administrative costs instead of reducing trade expenses
NAGAFF further warned that the situation at the ports is already becoming difficult, with rising congestion, uncertainty among stakeholders, financial pressure on operators, disruption of established workflows, and longer cargo dwell times. This has also led to increased demurrage, storage charges, and higher overall costs for importers and freight forwarders.
The association expressed concern that these challenges could also encourage negative outcomes such as document fraud, regulatory circumvention, and the circulation of fake certificates, including SONCAP and other approvals. It warned that this may eventually result in the influx of substandard goods into the Nigerian market.
It also noted that weak coordination in the system could undermine regulatory agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC, while increasing the risk of smuggling and cargo diversion.
NAGAFF called for stronger collaboration among key agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, NAFDAC, SON, CRFFN, and freight forwarding associations, to urgently address the emerging challenges.
It further urged the Federal Government to convene a stakeholder meeting without delay, review the current system, and ensure proper coordination among all agencies and platform operators.
Urgent Actions Recommended
The association called for the following immediate steps:
Conduct a technical and operational audit of the NSW platform
Transition from a document-upload system to a fully integrated data-sharing platform
Ensure full automation of trade processes and removal of manual bottlenecks
Strengthen inter-agency integration and real-time data exchange
Restore effective regulatory enforcement mechanisms
Promote transparency and accountability across the system
Provide temporary relief measures to reduce demurrage and financial losses
While reaffirming that the National Single Window remains a critical reform for Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, NAGAFF warned that its current implementation risks undermining its objectives if urgent corrective measures are not taken.
The association called for alignment with global best practices under the World Customs Organization (WCO) and World Trade Organization (WTO) frameworks to restore efficiency, transparency, and stakeholder confidence.
This statement is signed by Dr. Increase Uche, RFF, Chairman/Lead Expert, NAGAFF Trade Advocacy Committee (NTAC).
