Customs, NSW begin maritime manifest digital submission, intensify stakeholder sensitisation

By Onu Okorie

 Nigeria Customs Service NCS, in collaboration with the National Single Window NSW Secretariat, has intensified the implementation of the National Single Window initiative with a sensitisation programme for Customs officers, shipping lines and other maritime stakeholders as the maritime manifest submission phase takes off.

Speaking during the sensitisation exercise held at the Apapa Area Command on Tuesday, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the programme builds on extensive stakeholder engagements conducted before and after the successful launch of Phase One of the National Single Window on March 27, 2026.

She described the platform as an international best practice that is already enhancing Nigeria’s standing in global trade, noting that the initiative is delivering benefits beyond the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to Adebakin, the National Single Window is designed not only to improve revenue generation but also to facilitate trade, enhance data reliability and strengthen anti-smuggling efforts.

She assured stakeholders that the electronic submission of maritime manifests would not alter the statutory responsibilities of the Customs Service, explaining that the platform simply provides a more efficient and transparent method of submitting the same documentation.

“The country as a whole, not only the NCS, has begun to experience the benefits of the National Single Window. Nigeria’s standing in international trade is improving, and the NCS remains committed to supporting the successful implementation of this initiative,” she said.

Also speaking, the Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Mohammed Babandede, emphasised that stakeholder engagement remains a key feature of the Service’s reform agenda.

He noted that the Customs Service consistently consults industry players before introducing new policies and digital solutions, stressing that the sea manifest is critical to cargo declaration and risk management.

Babandede urged shipping companies to submit compliant manifests promptly to support faster cargo clearance, improve risk profiling and enhance operational efficiency at the nation’s ports.

National Coordinator of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, commended the Customs Service for its unwavering commitment to the initiative, disclosing that the platform has already recorded significant milestones, including the issuance of over 100,000 licences and permits as well as the registration of more than 1,000 users.

In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, praised participants for their active engagement during the sensitisation exercise.

He called on shipping companies, terminal operators and other stakeholders to sustain collaboration with the NCS and the National Single Window Secretariat to accelerate trade facilitation, improve regulatory compliance, strengthen transparency and reinforce Nigeria’s competitiveness in international trade.