National Single Window, My Last Word*
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
There are projects one can write about once, and never return to again. The “National Single Window” project is not one of them. For over a year now, this flagship trade facilitation reform has demanded our attention, our analysis, and our hope.
And here I am again, for the umpteenth time, compelled to tell its story — not because it lacks progress, but because its unfolding continues to shape the destiny of Nigerian trade.
The idea of a single digital platform to simplify imports and exports may sound straightforward, but in a country where multiple agencies guard their turf jealously, it has taken uncommon political will to move the vision forward.
Launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April 2024, the project was meant to reset the culture of cargo clearance, shut the back doors of revenue leakages, and give Nigerian businesses the global edge they deserve.
Now, as the calendar edges toward 2026, momentum has begun to gather in earnest. Meetings at Customs Headquarters in Abuja have become the crucible of this reform, hosting conversations that were once thought impossible.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, and the National Single Window Director, Tola Fakolade, have become regular faces at the table, hammering out integration timelines and smoothing the rough edges of inter-agency rivalry.
On September 16, Adedeji himself returned to Customs Headquarters and expressed rare satisfaction. “This has become the official headquarters of the implementation,” he declared.
“Nigeria Customs Service is playing host to the core implementation scheme of Single Window.” For once, words and actions seem to be marching in step.
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Fakolade too, in his steady voice, unveiled plans for broad stakeholder engagement sessions across Nigeria’s four zones in October. He confirmed that bi-weekly technical meetings would continue, and spoke of new funding approvals to strengthen IT infrastructure in ministries and agencies.
His tone was not one of hesitation but of quiet certainty. Adeniyi, as always, provided the firmest assurance. Customs, he said, was not only meeting its technical responsibilities but driving the broader vision of a seamless trade ecosystem.
“We are going to deliver on this mandate,” he affirmed, his words echoing a confidence built on concrete progress. The promise of this reform is immense. Shorter cargo clearance times, lower trade costs, and tighter revenue collection are not abstract ambitions; they are the levers that can transform Nigeria into a competitive hub for global commerce.
If fully realized, the National Single Window will save businesses money, save government revenue, and save citizens the hidden costs of inefficiency.
And yet, I return to the title of this reflection — my last word. The reason is simple. Nigerians have heard promises before. We have watched reforms launched with grandeur only to stall in the trenches of bureaucracy.
It is why this renewed momentum must not be taken for granted. But perhaps this time is different. Perhaps the steady grind of meetings, the frank collaboration across agencies, and the political weight of the President’s mandate mean that we may finally see this through.
If that happens, the National Single Window will not just be another reform. It will be a turning point — the moment Nigeria finally learned to clear the cobwebs from its ports and opened its doors to the world with speed, integrity, and confidence.
And maybe then, for the first and only time, I will stop writing about it. This will be my last word on the Single Window — until it either delivers on its promise or joins the long list of abandoned dreams.
For now, I choose to believe that it will succeed. And with that faith, I end the discussion on National Single Window.
Mahmud, Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, wrote in via: [email protected].
