Abubakar Dantsoho, managing director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), has described the country’s latest move to implement a national Single Window platform for international trade as the most strategic port initiative since 2003, saying it will fasten Nigeria’s admittance into the Category C council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Other benefits of a national single window according Dantsoho, include creating a one-stop shop for for export and import trade, consolidation of a port community system as required by the IMO, as well as ensuring effective trade facilitation in accordance with the regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
A national Single Window 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 in a country. It simplifies and streamlines interactions with government authorities, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs and delays in cross-border trade.
Dantsoho, who spoke at a maritime forum in Lagos recently, said that the implementation of a national single window would enhance trade facilitation necessary to improve the economy and generate funding for Nigeria’s IMO Category membership expenses.
“Now, the reason is the single window operations relate to over 500 million container movements in the world and over 50 billion tons of cargo through the sea, the land,, and the airports. This move to implement the national Single Window in Nigeria will help to deepen the competitiveness of our ports and position the good people of Nigeria to the greater benefits of global trade,” Dantsoho said.
Noting that the WTO trade facilitation agreement requires member states to implement the single window system, Dantsoho said, “It should be observed that the World Trade Organization’s agreement is now in force and therefore, the establishment of this national single window is mandatory for Nigeria.”
“There is no doubt that the success of this initiative is directly connected to the establishment of a one-stop shop, which comprises all relevant government agencies and representatives of local refineries that was settled by the Implementation Committee for this initiative, and the NPA was appointed to play a role of coordinating the processes for the achievement of this seemingly lucky goal,” he noted.
