After Decade of Failed Attempts, Customs Set To Revive Single Window Business Concept

BY ALEX AKAO

More than ten years after the Nigeria Customs Service’ (NCS) failed attempts at instituting global Single Window trade concep in Nigeria, the Service says it is now set to revisit the model.

Controller General of the Service, Bashir Adewale Adebiyi, says the service has now identified and ready to tackle the earlier inhibitions against the successful implementation of the scheme.

According to the World Customs Organisation (WCO), a Single Window (SW) is a trade facilitation concept that enables traders and businesses to submit standardised information and documents through a single entry point to fulfil all regulatory requirements related to import, export, and transit. It simplifies and streamlines interactions with government authorities, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs and delays in cross-border trade.

Since 2014, Customs twice made unsuccessful efforts to create and implement the Single Window, but each attempt had met with brickwalls.

Speaking at an ongoing stakeholders forum on the National Single Window implementation in Lagos, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adeniyi asserted that for the National Single Window to work in Nigeria, all relevant agencies in the country’s trade and revenue system “must embrace a singular purpose backed by an unwavering government support.

While asserting that the single window should not be perceived as sole mandate, but as a national strategy supported by all stakeholders, he said the inclusion of the private sector, financial institutions, and regulatory agencies will drive it’s success this time around.

According to him, “the centrality of customs in this ecosystem is undeniable, but success requires a symbiotic relationship where each stakeholder plays its path with precision and commitment.

“Technology has often been cited as the cornerstone of the single window system but technology alone is not the solution.

“The deployment of advanced digital platforms must be accompanied by meticulous process reengineering, capacity building, and proper change management. Past efforts in Nigeria have failed due to over-emphasis on technology without adequately addressing the human and operational dimensions”.

Continuing, he said “a successful single window system must reflect the peculiarities of Nigeria’s trade environment, incorporating user friendly designs, inter-operability with existing systems and scalability to accommodate future growth.”

According to the Customs boss, who was represented at the event by the head of Customs Information and Communications Technology (ICT), deputy comptroller of Customs, Kikelomo Adeola, past attempts to build the National Single Window failed due to challenges ranging from fragmented technological systems and institutional bottlenecks, to misaligned stakeholder expectation and inadequate physical and technological infrastructure.

“While these obstacles have slowed our progress, they have also provided invaluable lessons that shaped the roadmap for future sources.

“A critical reflection on past attempt reveals the necessity of a unified vision driven by strong political will and institutional committee, fragmentation in leadership and inconsistent policy direction, which undermined the effectiveness of earlier initiatives,” he noted.

He further emphasised that continuous stakeholder engagement must be at the heart of the implementation process, adding that previous initiative suffered failure from limited collaboration and inadequate communication, which bridge the trust gap and soften resistance among stakeholders.

“So a successful single window system must prioritize inclusivity with active consultation and collaboration among government agencies, private sectors, and development partners. This development must include consultation and involve co-creation where stakeholders actively contribute to system design and evaluation,” the CG said.

“As we forge ahead, we must harmonize the legal landscape, eliminating redundancy and ambiguity while instituting policies that promote transparency accountability and efficiency. This legal alignment will not only facilitate system implementation, but also booster Nigeria compliance and international trade agreements and standards,” he added.