Nigeria Customs Service Launches Digital One-Stop-Shop Platform to Streamline Trade

By Lod Onyeji

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched a digital One-Stop-Shop platform aimed at eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks at the nation's ports and reducing cargo clearance time to 48 hours. This initiative is a major structural reform to modernize border operations and enhance Nigeria's trade competitiveness.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the platform as a significant step towards coordinated governance and data-driven operations. "This platform is a deliberate shift from fragmented interventions to coordinated governance, from discretion to data, and from isolated actions to collective responsibility," Adeniyi said.

The platform aligns with ongoing business reforms under President Bola Tinubu's administration and meets global standards set by the World Trade Organisation's Trade Facilitation Agreement. Efficient border reforms could cut trade costs in developing economies by over 14 percent.

Key features of the platform include:

- Consolidation of all risk interventions into a single electronic interface

Streamlining of multiple checks under one digital umbrella

Shift towards a fully paperless customs environment

The first phase of digital clearance and documentation processes is scheduled for rollout by the end of the second quarter of 2026. Stakeholders have expressed strong support for the initiative, noting that it will facilitate legitimate trade and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria.