Port clearing: NAQS pledges support for national single window project

Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has pledged its support for the National Single Window (NSW) Project, which aims to streamline port clearing processes and drive economic growth as part of the government’s efforts to improve trade facilitation, enhance federal revenue, and bolster national security at Nigeria’s borders.

This pledge was made by the Comptroller General (CG) of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, during a working visit from the Head of the Secretariat and members of the Project Management Office of the National Single Window at the NAQS headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, 17th September 2024.

In their remarks, Mr. Tola Fakolade, Head of the Project Secretariat for the NSW, and Mr Pius Anyiador, project co-lead, outlined the objectives of the visit and highlighted NAQS’s crucial role in the project’s success.

They emphasised the benefits of the NSW, which include enhanced government revenue, increased foreign investment, higher trade volumes, and the automation of processes for greater efficiency.

A statement signed by the Head/Media Communications and Strategies Unit of the NAQS, Deputy Superintendent of Quarantine, Senyamba Tanto said that Dr. Isegbe assured the project team of NAQS’s cooperation and called on all relevant agencies to align with government policies and programs that promote the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

He emphasized the importance of clearly defining, understanding, and respecting the roles of agencies involved in trade facilitation.

Furthermore, the CG NAQS said that NAQS has instituted the Export Certification Value Chain ECVC for 30 agricultural commodities to ease their exportation process, thereby creating opportunities for stakeholders and youth engagement in export drive to earn foreign exchange.

NAQS has equally instituted electronic certification of her processes for ease of doing business. Recall that NAQS ranked top amongst the 36 MDAs on the ease of doing business in the 90-Day RRA PEBEC ranking.

CG NAQS also expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for inaugurating the NSW project, noting that it will further consolidate the NAQS’s mandate on trade facilitation.

He also highlighted that NAQS has successfully automated the process for obtaining phytosanitary certifications through the ePhyto system.

The ePhyto system allows exporters to apply for phytosanitary certifications from anywhere in the world, ensuring transparency and integrity, as both local and international stakeholders can easily verify the authenticity of the certificates.