In a strategic move to streamline Nigeria’s trade processes, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has officially partnered with the team behind the National Single Window Project.
The collaboration was formalised at an event held at NAGAFF’s National Secretariat on Tuesday.
Tola Fakolade, the Team Lead for the National Single Window Project, shared insights into how this partnership aims to revolutionise trade facilitation.
“We’re here to not only integrate NAGAFF into the Single Window Project but also to enlighten its members on the project’s transformative potential,” Fakolade explained.
He described the National Single Window as a unified digital portal where all documentation for cargo clearance would be submitted, directly feeding into agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), thus eliminating redundant paperwork.
The benefits of this initiative, according to Fakolade, are manifold: it promises job creation, simplification of trade documentation, enhancement of import and export processes, increased government revenue, and an influx of foreign direct investment.
He emphasised the need for freight forwarders to align their practices with the new system to ensure smooth operations.
Addressing concerns from NAGAFF members about existing inefficiencies like corruption, network issues, and legal backing, Fakolade reassured that the National Single Window would serve as a central hub, maintaining individual agency systems while centralising access.
He acknowledged the prevalent bottlenecks and committed to using technology to address these, with plans for extensive consultations through townhall meetings and by forming a Private Sector Consultative Council with NAGAFF members to refine the system.
Damola Yusuf from the project team tackled network concerns by announcing investments in top-tier data centers and system redundancies to ensure reliability.
Fakolade also set expectations, noting that the full implementation of the National Single Window could take between five to ten years, calling for a concerted effort from all parties to meet international standards.
Tochukwu Ezisi, National President of NAGAFF, urged members of the association to uphold integrity in their declarations to support the project’s success.
He also requested field visits by the project team to engage directly with importers and exporters. He affirmed NAGAFF’s commitment by promising to nominate members for the consultative council and participate in training and testing phases.
Simeon Nwonu, NAGAFF’s Deputy National President, expressed gratitude for being the first association approached for this partnership and pledged to leverage NAGAFF’s Academy for member training, ensuring readiness for the new system.
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