FG SETS NOVEMBER DEADLINE TO CUT EXPORT DELAYS

The Federal Government has given ministries, departments and agencies until the end of November 2026 to complete the second phase of the National Single Window, a digital trade platform designed to reduce delays and bureaucratic barriers affecting Nigerian exporters.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, announced the deadline in Abuja during a stakeholder meeting on the implementation of Phase 2 of the National Single Window and the Export Tracker.

Oduwole said the new phase must address duplicated regulatory procedures, fragmented systems and poor coordination among government agencies, which she said increase costs and delay the movement of goods.

The National Single Window became operational on March 27 and has so far processed more than 124,614 licences and permits, registered 11,096 importers and agents, and trained over 8,000 users. The platform has also processed about N12.59bn in regulatory payments.

The minister said Phase 2 would bring export permits, certificates, licences, inspections, payments and other regulatory processes into a more coordinated system.

She explained that exporters should not have to submit the same information repeatedly to different agencies, saying the government must address the complexity within its own systems.

The government is also working to integrate agencies including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, NAFDAC, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and other relevant bodies.

Oduwole said the success of the reform would ultimately be measured by whether Nigerian businesses can complete export procedures faster, with fewer documentation requirements and greater certainty.

The initiative is part of broader efforts to expand non-oil exports, attract investment and support the government’s target of building a $1tn economy by 2030.