Glitches: Make Customs, NSC lead agencies of National Single Window —SEREC

Following glitches that have trailed the launch of the National Single Window (NSW), a development that has left thousands of cargoes trapped at the ports, the Sea Empowerment Research Centre (SEREC) has called on the Federal Government to make the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) the lead agencies of the NSW implementation.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Head of Research at SEREC, Frdr. Eugene Nweke explained that the implementation should start on a pilot phase in a particular port terminal before widespread implementation across Nigerian ports.

According to Eugene Nweke, “If we really want the National Single Window to succeed, we must make the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Shippers Council the lead agencies.

“When you look at Single Window implementation in saner climes, most countries always allowed their Customs Service to be the lead agency of Single Window implementation.

“I am not suggesting that the National Single Window Committee should be disbanded. We should just allow Customs and the NSC to be the lead agencies.

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“Another issue is the way and manner the National Single Window commenced. Their take-off on the 27th of March was not properly structured. They should have started on a pilot phase at a small terminal like Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT), then move to PTML terminal before widening the implementation to larger port terminals like Apapa and Tin-Can Ports.

“There is always what is called a milestone implementation plan. It’s just like when Customs started Bodogwu implementation, they started at PTML. It was after they were successful at PTML that they moved to the larger port terminals. Even as of this moment, Customs cannot say they have got Bodogwu 100 percent. They are still fine-tuning the system.

“The Single Window Committee should have considered Nigeria’s trade volume, both import and export-wise, and should have started in a particular terminal. It is there the challenges will come up, and they will address it before going to other port terminals.

“If the NSW Committee had started the implementation in phases, we won’t have this problem that we have today.”