Nigeria is set to launch the first phase of its National Single Window on Friday, March 27, a centralised digital platform designed to streamline import and export processes and reduce congestion at its Ports.
Minister of Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, described the initiative as a “game changer” for trade facilitation, noting that the initial rollout will cover one shipping line and one port.
The platform forms part of reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s broader economic agenda, which includes fiscal and tax restructuring aimed at boosting trade efficiency and foreign exchange generation. Officials say inefficiencies at Nigerian ports have significantly inflated logistics costs, with analysts indicating that transporting goods from Europe to warehouses in Lagos can cost up to five times more than in South Africa and three times more than in Ghana.
Oduwole added that while global uncertainties linked to the Middle East conflict continue to unsettle markets, the government remains optimistic that stability will return, restoring investor confidence and supporting trade growth.