The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up efforts to advance the Federal Government’s trade reform agenda through closer collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Single Window (NSW) Secretariat.
Hikaya Newspaper reports that this followed a high-level meeting on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, where the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), hosted FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, and NSW Project Director, Mr. Tola Fakolade, to review progress and outline final steps towards the platform’s take-off in the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking at the meeting, CGC Adeniyi described the National Single Window as a “transformational initiative that will reshape Nigeria’s trade landscape,” emphasising that its success hinges on seamless inter-agency collaboration. He stressed that the project is aimed at building a modern trade ecosystem where government agencies work in unison to serve the trading community with efficiency, transparency, and speed.
The initiative, launched in April 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is designed as a unified digital platform linking all trade-related government agencies to cut bureaucratic delays, reduce cargo clearance time, lower operating costs, and boost Nigeria’s global trade competitiveness.
In his remarks, Dr. Adedeji reaffirmed FIRS’ commitment to the project, assuring that the revenue agency would fully collaborate to ensure the system delivers improved compliance, revenue growth, and enhanced ease of doing business. NSW Director, Mr. Fakolade, urged all participating agencies to meet their integration timelines to maintain the scheduled Q1 2026 launch.
The meeting concluded with a joint pledge by NCS, FIRS, and the NSW Secretariat to intensify technical integration, maintain open communication channels, and keep stakeholders informed. Once fully operational, the platform is expected to enhance revenue generation, create jobs, strengthen compliance, and deliver tangible benefits to businesses, government, and consumers.