President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, inaugurated the steering committee for the Single Window Project in the State House, Abuja, declaring that the implementation of the initiative would rake in around $2.7 billion annual economic benefit to the country.
According to the presidency, the project is a cross-government website to facilitate trade by offering a single portal for trade actors, both Nigerian and international, to access a full range of resources and standardised services from different Nigerian agencies.
Inaugurating the committee in the State House, Tinubu said: “The transformative project” will propel the nation’s economy to new heights as it is not just a policy but “a bold statement” of the administration’s commitment to progress, prosperity, and the well being of every Nigerian.
The President noted that the country had immense potential, given the people’s resilience, creativity, and unwavering spirit of enterprise. He, however, lamented that “for far too long, our economic growth has been hindered by the complexities and inefficiencies in our trade processes.”
According to him, the national single window is a game changer that will revolutionise the way trade is conducted in the country. He said: “By simplifying government trade compliance through a digital platform, we will unlock the doors to economic prosperity and all other opportunities.
“This initiative will link our ports, government agencies and key stakeholders, creating a seamless and efficient system that will facilitate trade like never before. Imagine a Nigeria where businesses can save time and resources, where small enterprises can reach global markets and where the informal e-commerce sector is brought into the fold increasing our tax base.”
This is the Nigeria we are building with the National Single Window. “The benefits of this initiative are immense. The paperless trade alone is estimated to bring an annual economic benefit of around $2.7 billion US dollars.”
He called on all citizens to embrace the initiative with open arms, adding: “Let us work together as one nation to make the National Single Window a resounding success.”
