By Gabriel Ameh
Abuja — The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s planned launch of Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) trade platform, describing the initiative as one of the most significant economic reforms under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman Ahmad Sajoh and Secretary Danjuma Sada, the group said the reform represents a major step toward transforming Nigeria into a more efficient and globally competitive trading economy.
According to the forum, the National Single Window platform will replace Nigeria’s long-standing fragmented and paper-based trade processes with a unified digital system where importers, exporters and logistics operators can submit documentation once and have it securely shared across all relevant government agencies.
The group noted that the new “submit once, process everywhere” model is expected to significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that have historically slowed cargo clearance across Nigeria’s seaports, airports and land borders.
TSF cited available trade data showing that businesses currently face an average compliance timeline of 362 hours (about 15 days) for imports, while export documentation and border processes take about 202 hours, or more than eight days.
However, with the introduction of the National Single Window and integrated risk-management systems, the forum projected that these timelines could fall by about 60 percent within the first two years of implementation.
If achieved, import processing time could reduce to around six days, while export procedures may drop to three to four days, a development the forum said would dramatically improve the speed and reliability of Nigeria’s trade logistics.
“For importers and exporters, time is money,” the statement said, adding that prolonged cargo delays translate to higher prices for consumers and reduced competitiveness for Nigerian businesses.
The forum also highlighted the potential financial savings expected from the reform.
Current estimates indicate that businesses spend an average of $1,641 per shipment on import compliance costs and about $1,036 on export documentation and border procedures, excluding tariffs and inland transportation.
TSF said the digitalisation and simplification of trade procedures under the National Single Window could reduce direct compliance costs by approximately 15 percent, saving businesses about $246 per import transaction and $155 per export transaction.
Across Nigeria’s vast trade ecosystem, these savings could amount to billions of naira annually for manufacturers, importers, exporters, logistics companies and small businesses.
Beyond cost savings, the forum said the reform could significantly strengthen government revenue by improving transparency in documentation processes.
By integrating cargo data across agencies and reducing opportunities for manipulation of trade paperwork, the system is expected to curb revenue leakages linked to under-invoicing and documentation fraud.
The initiative is also expected to support Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area by improving the competitiveness of Nigerian exports across African markets.
According to TSF, faster and more predictable border procedures will lower logistics costs, strengthen supply chains and encourage investment in export-driven sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and solid minerals.
The forum, however, emphasised that the success of the platform would depend largely on strong collaboration among government agencies and full adoption by private sector stakeholders.
It therefore urged trade-related institutions and operators to support the implementation process and fully onboard the platform so businesses and consumers can quickly benefit from faster and more transparent trade processes.
“The National Single Window is not merely a technology upgrade,” the statement said.
“It is a structural economic reform capable of unlocking trade efficiency, increasing government revenue and positioning Nigeria for sustained economic growth within Africa’s emerging trade landscape.”
TSF further estimated that if improved transparency and compliance enabled by the platform help Nigeria recover even 1 to 3 percent of potential customs revenue, the country could generate between ₦70 billion and ₦220 billion in additional annual revenue without increasing tariffs.
