Barely days after its much-publicized launch on March 27, 2026, Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) descended into confusion, congestion and costly disruption. What was thought to be a transformational reform to fast-track cargo clearance and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks is, in its current state, doing the exact opposite—trapping cargoes, inflating costs and eroding confidence in government’s capacity to execute critical reforms.
At the Lagos ports in particular, the reality is stark. Containers are piling up. Cargo clearance timelines have become unpredictable. Importers are counting losses as demurrage and storage charges accumulate daily. Freight forwarders and licensed customs agents, who should be the movers of the system, are wailing as theygrapple with uncertainty, system glitches, mounting demurrages and inconsistent directives from government agencies.
This is not merely a case of teething problems as claimed by the executors of the project. It is a classic example of a reform rolled out without adequate preparation, coordination or testing.
At the heart of the crisis lies a fundamental contradiction. A Single Window system is, by design, an integration platform—one that depends heavily on seamless coordination among multiple government agencies, from Customs to port authorities and regulatory bodies. But Nigeria’s version appears to have been launched into a fragmented institutional environment where overlapping mandates, inter-agency rivalry and weak digital infrastructure remain unresolved.
The result is predictable confusion. Agencies are issuing directives in disguised panic mode. Stakeholders are left to interpret inconsistent processes. And rather than simplifying trade, the system has introduced a new layer of complexity—one that the port community was clearly unprepared to absorb.
Giving an insight into what is going on, the former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Dr. Kayode Farinto, saidthe implementation of the NSW has crippled port operations and disrupted trade activities across the country, calling on the federal government to urgently suspend the newly introduced National Single Window (NSW) platform in order to address the glitches associated with the system.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction with the performance of the system since its roll out in an interview with the Daily Sun, Farinto stated that stakeholders have been unable to carry out cargo declarations, one of the most fundamental processes in port operations.
He said, “Ordinarily, when a new system is introduced, we expect some glitches. But what we are experiencing now goes beyond that; it is a total blockage. Since March 27, we have been unable to make any declaration. This is very unfortunate.”
He described the situation as a full-blown crisis, noting that cargoes are piling up at the ports while importers continue to incur heavy demurrage and storage costs.
“People’s cargoes are trapped. Demurrage is accumulating, storage charges are increasing, and businesses are suffering. This is clearly a state of crisis,” he added.
The customs broker alleged that some agencies and service providers are taking advantage of the situation to increase their charges, worsening the burden on importers already grappling with operational delays.
According to him, the crisis highlights a lack of adequate planning and stakeholder engagement prior to the system’s launch, arguing that critical players, such as shipping companies and terminal operators, were not properly integrated into the implementation process.
“These are issues that should have been addressed before the take-off. You don’t roll out a system of this magnitude without proper alignment with stakeholders. Now the system is down, and authorities are looking for solutions after the fact,” he said.
Economic Implication:
More troubling is the economic implication. At a time when Nigeria is battling inflation, foreign exchange constraints and declining trade competitiveness, the ports—critical arteries of the economy—cannot afford this level of disruption. Every delayed cargo translates to higher costs, and ultimately, higher prices for consumers. The demurrage burden alone is enough to wipe out already thin profit margins for many import-dependent businesses.
Describing the development as a total collapse of the industry, Farinto said the paralysis in port operations is already taking a toll on the Nigerian economy.
“This is a national emergency. The economy is at a standstill because port activities are blocked. Urgent decisions must be taken. There is no time for delays,” he said.
He estimated that losses incurred since the system’s introduction run into hundreds of millions of naira, with the risk of escalating further if immediate action is not taken.
Government agencies’ response:
In response to the situation, government agencies promised demurrage waivers and convening stakeholder meetings. But stakeholders have described this as merefirefighting. But while these measures may offer temporary relief, they do not address the structural deficiencies that triggered the crisis in the first place.
Even the promise is flawed because there was no prior consultation before the pronouncement. It was after the waiver promise has been made that the government agencies started lobbying shipping companies and terminal operators for the waivers. They are even saddling the Nigerian Shippers Council with the responsibility of resolving this aspect of the entire crisis.
But as Farinto said, “Shippers’ Council cannot compel shipping lines. What should have been done was consultation and collaboration before rollout, not after the system has already failed.”
To address the situation, Farinto advocated a temporary return to the previous system while the government works to resolve the challenges affecting the Single Window platform.
“They should suspend it immediately and revert to the old system. Let them fix the loopholes and reintroduce it properly, possibly next quarter. There is no shame in admitting challenges; what matters is protecting the national interest,” he advised.
He also reiterated the need for a strong legal framework to support the implementation of the Single Window initiative, noting that the absence of such a structure has contributed to the current challenges.
Farinto is not alone. There are growing calls for a temporary suspension of the system. Calling for a pause of the NWS process, the Freight Anti-Corruption Vanguards of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (FAVFFN) said there was an urgent need for a review in order to align it with global best practices, prevent further inefficiencies, avoid policy inconsistencies, and prevent potential loss of public resources.
The association pointed out some flaws such as, lack of functional Port Community System (PCS), non-harmonization of existing trade laws and regulatory mandates of different agencies, failure to revamp the exchange control system particularly the Form M rule which, they say, is incompatible with the NSW process.
In the same vein, the Trade Advocacy Committee of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NTAC), said instead of delivering the promised efficiency, the system is now distorting trade and actively promoting trade malpractices and causing congestion. The committee said while Single Window globally is intended to enhance trade facilitation and promote efficiency, its Nigerian structure and operation have created significant disruptions, resulting in increased cost of doing business, regulatory inconsistencies, and trade malpractices.
The group noted that these lapses have led to avoidable delays in cargo processing/delivery and eroding the gains made in ease of doing business.
NAGAFF as an association had earlier advocated that a seamless implementation of the National Single Window should start with thorough sanitation and revamping of the Nigerian Exchange Control, Form ‘M’ processes, establishment of a Port Community System, harmonization of trade laws, and the elimination of all legacy and existing archaic trade practices.
The association warned that these steps were fundamental and critical to ensure NSW does not replicate old bottlenecks in digital format, and called for a critical review of the system.
The Lead Expert of NTAC, Mr. Increase Uche, said cargo clearance in the ports are partially stalled and that Form ‘M’ pre-import procedures are persisting without any meaningful reform. He alleged that the NSW portal is technically designed for revenue generation rather than trade facilitation, and that the peculiarities of Nigeria’s business environment were not taken into consideration by the NSW Secretariat.
Unfortunately, there are stakeholders in the industry who like to speak for government, defending government actions and policies even when they are glaring failures. They confuse economic issues with political matters.
Such stakeholders are viewing what is going at the ports from a different lens. They are backing the NSW as it is, remarking that criticisms against the portal is corruption fighting back.
At the same event, a seminar organized by Media Anti-Corruption Initiative (MACI) with theme: “National Single Window: Strategies to Avert Failure” held in Apapa, a representative of Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP), Joseph Alor, said the resistance to the NSW was predictable.
He said, “It is understandable that when anything new is introduced, there would be kickbacks, there would be those who have been benefiting for a long time from the maladministration and not well structured way of doing things.”
“The truth is that whenever technology is introduced to make life better and bring orderliness into chaotic systems, those who are benefiting heavily from that disorderliness would want to kick back.
“They have their henchmen who come out with publications, who also come out with statements, but these statements when tested are not statements of facts. We have our records, we have eyewitness accounts, and we have testimonials about how much efficiency there has been,” said the TTP official.
While the calls to halt the system may appear unpleasant and drastic, they are not without merit. No reform, however well-intentioned, should be allowed to cripple trade and inflict avoidable economic damage. A strategic pause to fix technical gaps, harmonize agency operations and conduct proper end-to-end testing may ultimately serve the country better than persisting with a flawed rollout.
But beyond the immediate crisis lies a deeper concern: accountability. Who advised that the system was ready for launch? Were pilot tests conducted? Were stakeholders adequately trained? Or was this yet another policy rushed into implementation to score political points, with little regard for operational realities?
Nigeria cannot continue to approach critical reforms with this level of casualness.
Before the launch, just a few weeks before, a maritime expert and the National Vice President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Segun Musa, warned that Nigeria was not yet ripe for single window operations. He described the planned roll out as a “mere jamboree” that will not have the desired impact on cargo clearance process at the port.
Dr. Musa, told journalists at the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) roundtable discussion in Apapa , Lagos that the NSW was like ‘an ordinary shell that houses different agencies’ that don’t have equal efficiency in trade facilitation.
He noted that SW is like a chain and it will be as strong as its weakest link.
The NAGAFF chief observed that if all the participating agencies are not ready and their operations are not automated, the whole essence will be a waste of time and resources because, according to him, one of the agencies in the link can delay the process due to inefficiency.
”What is the level of competence and efficiency of the participating agencies. If all of them are warehoused in a single window, an incompetent agency among them could frustrate the process.
“So let nobody deceive us that there’s going to be one single window that it’s going to be a game changer that will facilitate trade and everything will just be moving. It’s never true,” Musa declared.
Musa who is the Chief Consultant at Global Transport Policy, insisted that Nigeria was not prepared for the National Single Window (NSW) project and was very vehement in predicting the failure of the system, citing critical infrastructure gaps and necessary structural reforms as missing elements.
Specifically, he raised key concerns such as: infrastructure deficits, misalignment, and failed structure, describing the system in place as “an ordinary shell to house agencies” without providing the necessary structural reforms to enhance efficiency.
Last word:
The acceptability of a National Single Window is not in question. Globally, it remains one of the most effective tools for trade facilitation, transparency and revenue optimization. Countries that have implemented it successfully did so through careful planning, phased deployment and strong institutional coordination—not hurried launches and reactive management.
If Nigeria must get it right, the government must abandon the current trial-and-error approach. It must return to the basics: fix the port community system, clearly define agency rolesa, eliminate overlaps, invest in robust digital infrastructure and carry stakeholders along every step of the way. And as some stakeholders have suggested a legal framework to guide the process is germane.
Ignoring all this will only deepen the crisis. As things stand, what should have been a landmark reform is becoming yet another cautionary tale—of how not to modernize a nation’s ports.
For now, the reality is that Nigeria’s National Single Window stands at a critical crossroad. The government must move swiftly beyond firefighting to undertake a comprehensive review of the system’s architecture, stakeholder preparedness, and institutional framework. Anything short of this risks turning a flagship reform into a costly misadventure.
The advice of Farinto is apt to summarize it all: “There is no shame in admitting challenges, what matters is protecting the national interest.”
Acknowledging the disruption, but dismissing it as teething problems typical of large-scale digital transitions will only deepen the problem. The stark reality remains: what was meant to be a trade facilitator has turned out to be a trade disruptor.
