•Seaport
Licensed customs agents and freight forwarders operating in the maritime sector have pledged support for the National Single Window (NSW) project scheduled for takeoff on March 27, with the hope that a successful rollout will enhance trade facilitation and reduce bottlenecks in port processes.
They pledged this when the NSW Project team took its sensitisation campaign to stakeholders at the Lagos ports during a two-day town hall meeting with the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).
The National President of ANLCA, Emenike Nwokeoji, described the NSW project as a much-needed reform for licensed agents, expressing excitement over the strong political will of the current administration to end the multiplication of documents and repeated submissions, reports The Guardian.
Nwokeoji expressed confidence that the initiative would address overlapping functions among government agencies and ensure that any objections raised on the platform would be visible to all stakeholders.
This, he said, would enhance transparency, speed up cargo clearance and enable agents to submit documents remotely while tracking the movement of their cargo.
Founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, described the project as a breakthrough for the maritime sector.
He said the interactive nature of the platform would make business transactions more seamless across the industry, adding that the project would add value to operational standards and enhance due process.
“The single window platform is the best thing that is going to happen in the maritime sector, because it is interactive. NAGAFF members will fully support this project and we are always eager to embrace due process”, he said.
The leadership of the associations urged members to fully embrace the programme, drawing lessons from past transitions where delayed adoption led to operational challenges.
They also emphasised the importance of training offered by the NSW team and advised members to register online, attend sessions at any of the designated centres and share the knowledge gained with their staff.
Director of the NSW Project, Tola Fakolade, noted the strong support already shown by the leadership of ANLCA and NAGAFF, but called for broader sensitisation among their members, urging them to act as ambassadors of the initiative.
He outlined a phased transition strategy designed to manage risks and address teething challenges early, explaining that the rollout would take place in three stages over a maximum period of 12 months.
Fakolade assured stakeholders that all processes not captured in the first phase would continue on the existing platforms of the relevant government agencies.
He disclosed that the project would be supported by an intensive two-day, hands-on training programme for licensed customs agents and freight forwarders, to be conducted over four weeks across the country.
Fakolade advised the participants to register for centres closest to them, while also stressing that stakeholders’ consultation would remain ongoing to receive additional inputs on areas requiring improvement as implementation progresses.
He further revealed plans to establish support centres equipped with internet access at major ports, beginning with Apapa Port, adding that a help desk and walk-in support centres would also be available after launch to help and ensure a seamless transition to the new system.
