The federal government plans to implement the National Single Window (NSW) to reduce business costs in Nigerian ports by at least 25%.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adeboyega Oyetola stated at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos on Tuesday that the Single Window System will increase efficiency and potentially reduce costs by at least 25%.
According to the World Bank, delays and administrative bottlenecks can make conducting business in Nigerian ports up to 40% more expensive than in other West African nations. This costs the business community an estimated ₦2.5 trillion in lost revenue annually.
He stated, “By streamlining operations, improving transparency, and minimising delays, the system not only drives cost savings but also strengthens overall trade facilitation. The cumulative impact across all areas, including reduced costs, enhanced efficiency, and greater transparency, ultimately contributes to the overall ease of doing business.”
According to Oyetola, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is concentrating on enhancing road, rail, and inland waterway links to and from the ports in order to improve logistics and trade, while the federal government is promoting multimodal connectivity in order to increase trade and lower transportation costs.
Oyetola stated during the stakeholders’ forum on the creation of the National Single Window (NSW) in Lagos that his ministry is dedicated to carrying out the project in coordination with the Lagos State government.
“Government, cleared the age-long Apapa–Tincan–Mile 2 traffic for landside operations and provided tugboats, mooring boats, pilot cutters, bollards, and fenders across all port locations for effective seaside operations.
“We maximised crane productivity and ensured a reduced transit time for vessels and trucks. These led to a reduction in both the vessel and truck turnaround times.
“The vessel turn-around time went down from an average of 7 days to an average of 5 days, while truck turn-around time went from an average of 10 days to a few hours. But we are not resting on our oars, as our ultimate goal is to make Nigeria the hub of maritime in West Africa,” he stated.
In order to strengthen hinterland connections and address aging infrastructures that are approaching the end of their economic lifespan, the minister noted that work are now ongoing to remodel existing ports, with Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports serving as pilot projects.
“We are also encouraging private-sector participation in developing greenfield ports and other infrastructure projects. Additionally, the NPA has acquired two state-of-the-art tugboats to strengthen its fleet, with plans to procure more marine crafts to boost operational efficiency.