The Nigerian federal government has significantly intensified its efforts to implement the National Single Window (NSW) system across the nation's ports by 2026. This ambitious policy aims to create a unified digital platform designed to harmonise documentation, minimise human contact, and ensure full transparency in the cargo clearance process. Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking at the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, lauded the initiative as a potential game-changer for port operations, promising a revolutionary transformation in trade facilitation and overall port efficiency.

A primary objective of the National Single Window is to drastically reduce the average cargo clearance time in Nigeria from the current 18-21 days to less than seven days by the end of 2026. This move is expected to position Nigerian ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways on the African continent. Shettima highlighted that the full implementation, anticipated in the first quarter of 2026, would address the inefficiencies that currently make the cost of clearing goods in Nigeria about 30 percent higher than in neighbouring countries. Such delays and elevated costs, he warned, deter investment, inflate consumer prices, and diminish the nation's export competitiveness, noting that Nigerian ports record cargo dwell times 475 percent above the global average benchmark.

To bolster these efforts, Vice President Shettima directed key agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), along with other relevant bodies, to collaboratively develop a comprehensive roadmap for an effective weights and measures framework. This framework is intended to ensure accuracy in trade measurements through regular inspections, prevent fraudulent practices, and safeguard consumers in adherence to international best practices.

Shettima also expressed optimism regarding a pending Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, awaiting presidential approval, which he believes will tackle long-standing bottlenecks in port operations. He emphasised that this order would usher in an era of greater predictability, transparency, and speed in port activities, advocating for a unified value chain where inter-agency rivalry gives way to collaboration. He stressed that