FG moves to cut cargo clearance time with National Single Window policy by 2026
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to launch the National Single Window at Nigeria’s ports by 2026, aiming to drastically reduce cargo clearance times and boost trade efficiency.
In the statement signed on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President), Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasised the transformative impact of the policy during the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at the Presidential Villa.
He said, “By the end of 2026, we aim to reduce average cargo clearance time in Nigeria to under seven days and to position our ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways on the continent.”
The National Single Window system will create a harmonised digital platform that reduces documentation redundancies, limits human interaction, and ensures full transparency in cargo processing.
Shettima highlighted the current problems, stating, “The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is estimated to be 30 percent higher than in many of our regional peers. Our ports record cargo dwell times 475 percent above the global average benchmark.”
He compared Nigeria’s average cargo clearance of 18 to 21 days unfavorably with Ghana and Cotonou, Benin Republic, where the clearance time is between four to seven days.
The Vice President called on key agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and others to develop a roadmap for strengthening the nation’s weights and measures framework to prevent fraud and protect consumers.
He stressed, “The era of siloed operations must end. Inter-agency rivalry must give way to inter-agency synergy, our success will depend not only on what we do individually, but on what we achieve together.”
The implementation of the Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, currently awaiting presidential approval by President Bola Tinubu, is expected to enhance coordination among agencies and further improve port efficiency.
Zahrah Audu, Director General of PEBEC, and NPA’s Managing Director Dr Abubakar Dantsoho both underscored the necessity of collaboration and technology adoption to boost the ease of doing business and restore Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional trade.
