The Federal Government has kicked off User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for the National Single Window (NSW) platform with an initial group of stakeholders, marking a major step towards making the unified, technology-driven trade system operational by March 2026.
At the testing facility yesterday, technology vendor CrimsonLogic took participating agencies and private-sector users through the NSW onboarding process, system navigation and key operational features designed to streamline Nigeria’s trade procedures and reduce bottlenecks.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, were on ground to inspect the sessions and assess the level of progress.
Agencies represented at the inaugural UAT session included the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), as well as importers, exporters, clearing agents and freight forwarders.
The engagement allowed participants to test key functionalities, validate workflows and align expectations before the full rollout of the platform. The start of testing moves Nigeria closer to operationalising the NSW, which is expected to harmonise trade documentation, reduce transaction costs and eliminate duplication across multiple agencies.
The visit by the Finance Minister and FIRS Chairman underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to seeing the NSW implemented successfully and transforming the country’s trade ecosystem through a unified digital platform.
During their tour, they moved through various breakout rooms, interacting directly with representatives of each agency to better understand their experiences with the system.
Both Edun and Adedeji expressed satisfaction with the progress of the UAT and commended the high level of collaboration among participating agencies. They reiterated government’s resolve to drive a modern, transparent and technology-enabled trade environment for Nigeria.
At the opening of the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) Summit held on Monday in Abuja, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed that the NSW is scheduled to go live in March 2026.
Tinubu noted that the platform is expected to cut cargo clearance timelines from an average of 21 days to fewer than seven, bringing Nigeria in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) digital trade standards and positioning the country as a leader in port automation.
Speaking earlier at a stakeholder engagement forum jointly organised by the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Single Window Secretariat in Lagos, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of CRFFN, Kingsley Igwe, explained that the NSW model has already been successfully adopted in countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Rwanda to integrate all trade-related agencies and processes into a single digital system.
He highlighted the economic benefits of full implementation, including a potential reduction in logistics costs by up to 25–30 per cent, improved competitiveness in global trade and increased foreign investment.
According to Igwe, the system will support manufacturers through faster clearance of raw materials and equipment, enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to scale up by simplifying access to trade tools, and allow freight forwarders to track consignments digitally with fewer operational bottlenecks.
“The National Single Window will lower the cost of doing business, enhance supply chain visibility and give Nigeria a stronger footing in the global market,” Igwe said.