The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has raised concerns about Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) project. The NSW is meant to make import and export processes faster and more transparent through digital systems. But according to SEREC, some practices in the shipping industry could stop it from working as planned.

The report, released on January 15, 2026, warns that if nothing changes, the NSW may simply move old problems into a new digital system instead of fixing them. SEREC describes this as turning the project into “a digital overlay on analogue abuse.”

What SEREC is saying

SEREC accuses some shipping companies of sharp practices that increase costs and create delays. These include hidden charges, unnecessary bottlenecks, and the withholding of container deposits. When deposits are not refunded on time, importers and freight forwarders lose access to their working capital, making business more expensive.

The cost to the economy

Nigeria’s ports handle about 1.5 to 1.8 million containers (TEUs) every year, with Apapa port taking more than 60 percent of the traffic. SEREC says extra charges of about ₦150,000 to ₦250,000 per container could add between ₦225 billion and ₦450 billion to annual costs.

Logistics charges can make up as much as 40 percent of the final cost of imported goods. This could push inflation up by over one percentage point. When delays, demurrage, storage fees, and lost productivity are added, total losses could reach around ₦700 billion each year.

Practices of concern

The report highlights several specific issues:

Containers are sometimes diverted to ports that were not agreed upon, without the shipper’s consent. This can cost between ₦500,000 and ₦1 million per container in extra transfer and handling fees.

Refunds of container deposits and overcharges can take three to four months or longer. This puts financial pressure on freight forwarders.

In some cases, refunds are delayed because of problems linked to other parties, even when the affected operators have done nothing wrong.

SEREC says these delayed refunds act like “interest-free loans” to shipping lines, tying up tens of billions of naira every year.

How this affect the NSW

The whole point of the National Single Window is to improve transparency, reduce delays, and cut costs through automation. If these sharp practices continue, the NSW may not achieve these goals. Instead of lowering prices and making trade easier, it could end up supporting the same costly system in digital form.

Since logistics costs already have a big effect on the prices of goods, the success of the NSW is important for controlling inflation and supporting the economy.

SEREC says attention should now focus on:

• How government agencies respond and whether new rules are introduced to control charges and speed up refunds.

• What the NSW project team does to improve transparency, handle disputes, and monitor shipping companies.

• Reactions from freight forwarders, importers, and port authorities, especially if there are changes in fees and refund practices.