TSF Hails FG’s Single Window, Foresee 60% Drop in Delays
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TSF Hails FG’s Single Window, Foresee 60% Drop in Delays
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum, TSF has welcomed the Federal Government’s planned launch of the National Single Window trade platform, describing it as one of the most consequential economic reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada, the group said the initiative marked a major step towards transforming Nigeria into a globally competitive trading economy.
The forum explained that the National Single Window would replace Nigeria’s fragmented and paper-heavy trade processes with a unified digital system that allows importers, exporters and logistics operators to submit documentation once for use across multiple government agencies.
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According to the statement, the platform would introduce a “submit once, process everywhere” model expected to significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long slowed cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports, airports and land borders.
It noted that available trade data indicated that businesses currently face an average compliance timeline of about 362 hours, approximately 15 days, for imports, while export documentation and border processes take about 202 hours, or more than eight days.
The forum projected that with the introduction of the National Single Window and integrated risk-management systems, these timelines could decrease by about 60 per cent within the first two years of implementation.
It stated that the reduction would bring average import processing time down to about six days, while export procedures could drop to between three and four days.
“For importers and exporters, time is money. Every day cargo spends trapped in bureaucratic processes translates to higher prices for consumers and reduced competitiveness for Nigerian businesses,” the statement read.
The group also highlighted the potential cost savings associated with the reform, noting that businesses currently spend an average of $1,641 per shipment on import compliance and $1,036 on export documentation and border procedures, excluding tariffs and inland transport costs.
It added that with the digitalisation and simplification of trade processes, direct compliance costs could decline by about 15 per cent, saving businesses roughly $246 per import transaction and about $155 per export transaction.
The forum said such reductions could translate into billions of naira in annual savings across Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, benefiting manufacturers, importers, exporters, logistics firms and small businesses.
On revenue generation, the group said the reform would strengthen government earnings by reducing leakages linked to under-invoicing and documentation fraud through improved transparency and integration of cargo data across agencies.
It added that the platform would enhance Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area by improving the competitiveness of Nigerian exports across African markets.
The forum noted that faster and more predictable border processes would lower logistics costs, strengthen supply chains and attract investment into export-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and solid minerals.
It, however, stressed that the success of the National Single Window would depend on strong collaboration among government agencies and full adoption by private sector stakeholders.
The group urged all trade-related institutions and operators to support the implementation process and fully onboard the platform to ensure that businesses and consumers begin to benefit from faster and more transparent trade procedures.
“The National Single Window is not merely a technology upgrade. It is a structural economic reform capable of unlocking trade efficiency, increasing government revenue and positioning Nigeria for sustained economic growth in the emerging African trade landscape,” the forum stated.
It further estimated that if improved transparency and compliance enabled by the platform help Nigeria recover between one and three per cent of potential customs revenue, the country could generate between N70bn and N220bn in additional annual revenue without increasing tariffs.
