NSW Processes 156,026 Licences, Permits, 3,964 Manifests in 7-months, Begins Phase 2 Rollout
The National Single Window (NSW) platform has processed 156,026 licences, permits and certificates since its launch on March 27, 2026, the project team has said.
The team disclosed this at a stakeholder engagement with the press on Tuesday in Abuja, where it provided an update on the progress of Phase 1 and preparations for the implementation of Phase 2 of the platform.
The NSW project is designed to provide a centralised digital platform for trade-related regulatory processes and improve efficiency in the movement of goods across Nigeria’s borders.
According to the project update, more than 12,000 importers, customs agents, shipping lines, airlines and freight forwarders have registered on the platform.
It said five government agencies had been fully onboarded on the platform, while 8,000-plus users had been trained since the commencement of operations.
The update showed that the platform had processed 156,026 licences and permits, including 104,956 processed through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and 50,622 through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
It added that 3,964 air and sea cargo manifests had been processed through the platform.
The figure comprised 3,596 air cargo manifests transmitted by 27 airlines and 368 sea manifests transmitted by 56 shipping lines.
The project team said all airlines and air cargo companies had been onboarded, while 56 of the 88 shipping lines had so far been onboarded for sea manifest transmission.
It also reported a 99.98 per cent overall platform uptime, describing adoption of the system as strong since its launch.
According to the update, the submission, processing and approval of import licences, permits and certificates for NAFDAC, SON, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) had been fully implemented.
It said payments relating to the import licences, permits and certificates were also being processed on the platform.
On the harmonisation of HS Codes, the team said rationalisation workshops had been conducted with relevant regulatory agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, with the harmonised codes expected to be updated on both the NSW platform and B’Odogwu by November 2026.
It also disclosed that the onboarding of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for Ships Entry Notice (SEN) submission was in progress, with the service expected to go live on Nov. 16.
The project team said Phase 2 implementation had commenced, with delivery scheduled in phases between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.
The second phase is expected to introduce export-related licences, certificates and permits, Forms NXP and NCX, export manifests, Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDEC), import and export permits for Free Trade Zones and payments for export licences, permits and certificates.
Under the Phase 2 rollout, the first batch, scheduled for go-live in the fourth quarter of 2026, includes the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC); Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment’s Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS) and Registered Exporter System (REX); SON; NAFDAC; and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
The second batch, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, includes the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), NAQS, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), and Federal Ministry of Finance.
The project team said implementation of Phase 2 had progressed through current-state assessment, technology readiness assessment, future-state design and system customisation.
It said user acceptance testing, pilot testing and end-user training were also part of the implementation process ahead of the planned go-live.
The briefing noted that Phase 3 of the NSW rollout was projected for between the third and fourth quarters of 2027.
The third phase is expected to include the initiation of Customs Declaration submission, Form M application and approval, oil and gas processes, Advanced Risk Analytics and a Trade Visualisation System.
The stakeholder engagement provided an opportunity for members of the press to receive updates on the project and engage the NSW team on its implementation and progress.
The project urged stakeholders to continue engaging with the NSW platform and provided its help desk contacts for users requiring assistance.
