Nigeria plans to fully implement its National Single Window policy by 2026 to modernise port operations, cut cargo clearance time and boost trade competitiveness, Vice President Kashim Shettima said on Thursday.
Shettima, speaking at the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee in Abuja, said the reform would integrate documentation across port agencies, reduce human contact, and shorten the average cargo clearance time from 21 days to less than seven.
“By the end of 2026, we aim to reduce cargo clearance time to under seven days and position our ports among Africa’s top three most efficient trade gateways,” he said.
Describing the initiative as a “game changer,” Shettima said the policy will enhance transparency and streamline cargo processing across the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and other regulatory bodies.
He directed the agencies to produce a roadmap for a national weights and measures framework to ensure fair trade practices and consumer protection.
Nigeria’s ports currently have one of the longest cargo dwell times in West Africa, averaging 18 to 21 days, compared with five to seven days in Ghana and four in Benin’s Cotonou port. Shettima said the delays and costs were “economically unsustainable.”
“The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is about 30 percent higher than in many regional peers. These inefficiencies cost us investments, drive up prices, and weaken export competitiveness,” he said.
The vice president expressed confidence that the Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s assent, would further strengthen coordination among port agencies.
“The era of siloed operations must end. Inter-agency rivalry must give way to synergy. Our success will depend on what we achieve together,” he added.
Princess Zahrah Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), said inefficiencies at Nigerian ports had adversely affected the country’s Ease of Doing Business ranking and called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders.
NPA Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho said ongoing reforms, including joint inspection, adoption of digital tools, and infrastructure upgrades, were part of efforts to make Nigerian ports globally competitive.