The Federal Government says it is accelerating efforts to implement the National Single Window (NSW) system across Nigeria’s ports by 2026 to enhance efficiency, reduce human interference, and deepen transparency in cargo processing.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who disclosed this on Thursday at the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the initiative is expected to reduce average cargo clearance time from 21 days to fewer than seven days and place Nigerian ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways in Africa.
“The forthcoming implementation of the National Single Window in the first quarter of next year will be a game changer, a single platform that harmonises documentation, minimises human contact, and brings full transparency to the cargo clearance process,” he said.
Shettima also directed agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and others, to develop a roadmap for strengthening Nigeria’s weights and measures framework.
The weights and measures system ensures that measurement tools used in trade are accurate, safeguarding consumers from fraud and ensuring conformity with global standards.
Bemoaning the current state of port operations, Shettima noted that cargo dwell time in Nigeria averages between 18 and 21 days, compared to five to seven days in Ghana and just four days in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
“The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is estimated to be 30 per cent higher than in many of our regional peers. Our ports record cargo dwell times 475 per cent above the global benchmark,” he said.
“These inefficiencies are not just statistics; they are symptoms of an economic ailment that costs us investments, drives up consumer prices, and weakens our export competitiveness.”
The Vice President said the proposed Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, currently before President Bola Tinubu, is one of the boldest steps towards reversing the trend, enhancing predictability, transparency, and speed at the ports.
He emphasised that meaningful reform demands strong institutional ownership and collaboration.
“The era of siloed operations must end. Inter-agency rivalry must give way to inter-agency synergy. We are only as efficient as our collaboration allows, and our success will depend not only on what we do individually but on what we achieve together,” Shettima said.
Earlier, the Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Audu, highlighted the impact of port inefficiencies on Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business, calling for a united resolve to streamline operations and accelerate cargo clearance.
She acknowledged the progress recorded by the Efficiency Committee, describing it as a platform advancing inter-agency cooperation and a shared commitment to ensure Nigerian ports are globally competitive, transparent, and efficient.
Similarly, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, underscored the importance of partnership in revitalising the port ecosystem.
He said the Ports Efficiency Committee is already achieving results through joint inspection and boarding activities by key agencies.
Dantsoho noted that enhanced technology deployment, infrastructure upgrades, capacity development, and modern equipment are critical to improving port operations and sustaining Nigeria’s competitiveness within and beyond the sub-region.
