FIRS, Customs intensify collaboration on National Single Window project

Government’s drive to improve trade facilitation has received a boost as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) strengthen their partnership on the National Single Window (NSW) project.

The NSW is a major initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s import and export processes, boosting revenue generation, and enhancing the nation’s global trade competitiveness. At a high-level meeting held at the NCS headquarters in Abuja, senior officials from both agencies reviewed progress and agreed on concrete steps to speed up system integration before the project’s planned rollout in the first quarter of 2026.

Launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April 2024, the NSW is designed to streamline and automate trade procedures through a centralised digital platform, connecting relevant government agencies. The platform is expected to cut clearance times, reduce business costs, improve transparency, and simplify documentation.

Those present at the meeting included Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR); FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji; and Director of the National Single Window Project, Mr. Tola Fakolade, alongside other top officials.

Welcoming the FIRS team, Adeniyi emphasised the project’s strategic role in developing a modern trade environment by incorporating advanced technology into clearance and compliance operations, thereby reducing bottlenecks in goods movement.

Dr. Adedeji, in agreement, noted that the collaboration was both timely and crucial in ensuring the project meets its tight deadlines.