By Amaka Obiefuna

The Director, National Single Window (NSW) Project and Head of secretariat, Mr. Tola Fakolade has reassured the business community that the Policy initiative will position Nigeria as the preferred destination for businesses within and across Africa.

Fakolade maintained that the initiative was carefully designed to reduce every bureaucratic bottlenecks hitherto hindering trade to the barest minimum, accelerate trade processes, harmonize revenue flow, ameliorate pains, and boost ports efficiency.

Mr. Fakolade confirmed this development during a joint Stakeholders forum of the NSW Project Secretariat and the Nigeria customs held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State recently.

The Director informed critical stakeholders across the trade value chain in attendance that the legacy initiative is in sync with President Bola Ahmed Tinubus’ quest for modalities necessary to be in place for Nigeria to attain a $1 trillion economy by the year 2030, in line with world economic growth projections for countries.

Commending the efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and players for their pioneering roles in digitisation of trade processes, he explained that the initiative will harmonise and streamline trade processes and procedures into a One- Stop -Shop platform.

“This platform will house all Government Related Revenue collection agencies and Importers/exporters as well as other regulatory agencies of Government into a single access for declarations.

“The NSW is configured in a way to accommodate all critical stakeholders involved in the trade value chain to the extent of visibility and interoperability.

Therefore, no stakeholder will operate in silos or territorially. It is envisaged that this platform will harmonise the digital operational competences of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and consolidation of same to enable ease of doing business in Nigeria”

Expected challenges and other grey areas were addressed during questions and answers session by the keynote speaker, Mr Kingsley Igwe, and the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was represented by the Zonal Coordinator Zone C of the Customs, ACG Mohammed kamal. Inputs and suggestions were critiqued and welcomed.

Compered by the National PRO of Customs, Aliyu Maiwada, and supported by the 2IC and other CPRO’s in Zone, led by AC Fortune- former Zonal PRO – Zone C, the Head of NSW secretariat assured the stakeholders of federal Governments’ full commitment towards deploying the NSW to enable Nigeria become a new destination for business.

“It is hoped that with full implementation of Single Window, all bureaucratic bottlenecks hitherto hindering trade will be drastically reduced. It will ensure transparency in the system and will enthrone predictability when transacting business, while we strive to reduce cost and human interface in the trade ecosystem.

“It is therefore the wish of the secretariat that the project should be supported and embraced for the benefit of all stakeholders. There will be training and retraining of operators in the system as well as support for MDAs involved in the value chain who are yet to have a digitised platform for trade. Implementation will be in four stages and each stage will have a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for assessment” he assured.

Recall that, just recently, a similar forum was held in Lagos where the Federal Government assured business operators of its readiness to boost port efficiency and seamless operations. This, it said would materialized through innovative and creative processes – powered by modern technology to improve ease of doing business. Most importantly, the government said it was moving from a revenue generating agency to a trade facilitator, while ameliorating the plights of business operators.

Mr. Fakolade in Lagos affirmed that it was President Bola Tinubu’s desire to see importers, exporters and other operators in the maritime business value chain and beyond carry out their businesses without hitches.

While addressing newsmen, he added that the era of diverting consignments and investments to neighboring countries due to identified clogs would soon be over, as he called on all stakeholders and other interest groups to lend their support from their respective corners to achieve the president’s aim.

Panelists drawn from critical subsectors sensitized stakeholders on the need to prepare and set machineries and mechanisms in place in support of the initiative. Not jettisoning obvious challenges and perennial hitches that have impeded business flow in the maritime subsector, panelists acknowledged the plight of core business men and women within the shores of Nigerian ports, and promised to bring succor in no distance time.

As the cross – pollination and fertilization of ideas continue, stakeholders are admonished to contribute their quota for a smooth implementation, and optimization of the NSW initiative and its overall success in streamlining trade processes in the interest of the country.

President Bola Tinubu made this known in Lagos on Thursday at the fifth Adeola Odutola lecture organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria  saying the initiative is part of efforts to revitalise the manufacturing sector.

Tinubu who was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh said the campaign aims to shift national demand towards Nigerian products that meet global quality standards, while also addressing the country’s import dependency.

He noted that preliminary studies showed that such a campaign could boost the manufacturing sector by up to six per cent and create over 500,000 jobs within the next three years.

Tinubu said his administration would continue to prioritise the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector through policies promoting production, consumption, and export of Made-in-Nigeria goods.

“No country achieves prosperity or dignity without producing what it can and exporting at scale what it does best.

“Economics of resilience begins in the factory and thrives in the marketplace, and we are committed to reducing structural costs and enabling our manufacturers to compete effectively both at home and abroad,” he said.

Tinubu also outlined six key policy commitments under the “Nigeria First” strategy.

They include federal procurement reforms, quality and standards enforcement, export expansion, access to finance, energy and logistics, skills development, and input security.

He urged MAN members to uphold quality and transparency in production while collaborating with government agencies to share accurate data on capacity and pricing for effective policy planning.

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, represented by Mr Mansur Ahmed, former President, MAN, said manufacturers had eight key expectations from the Nigeria First policy.

Dangote said for the policy to work, it must be designed as a durable, binding national strategy for industrial development, capable of withstanding political transitions and market pressures alike.

He stressed that it must be anchored on both global best practices and Nigeria’s own industrial realities.

Dangote listed the expectations to include legislating the policy as a binding law with punitive measures for non-compliance and ensuring policy stability, consistency, and long-term commitment.

He added that it was important to develop a national supplier registry, drive consumer engagement and a national cultural shift, incentivise backward integration, and address infrastructure and energy deficits.

Dangote called for enhanced access to finance to build local supplier capacity and leverage of African Continental Free Trade Area and regional export potential to strengthen local competitiveness.

“The Nigeria First Policy represents a bold opportunity to industrialise sustainably.

“Its success depends on clear legislation, institutional enforcement, stable policy implementation, and strong alignment across government agencies and industry.

“To transform the economy, the Nigeria First Policy must move beyond declarations into actionable, measurable outcomes that prioritise local value creation and national prosperity.

“Every nation is in a race to improve the living conditions of its citizens and we must realise that we are in this race, and it is a very competitive race.

“The government has done a few things that have given us a fighting chance. The Nigeria first policy, if embraced, will place us in a very competitive position,” he said.

The President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, lauded the efforts of government to transform the economy via various policy reforms, including the Nigeria First policy.

Meshioye stated that its full legislation and implementation held the potential to significantly boost the fortune of the manufacturing sector and improve the well-being of the Nigerian citizenry.

He, however, noted the tough realities facing the manufacturing sector, shaped by global headwinds and domestic macroeconomic and policy constraints.

Meshioye said the Nigeria First policy was not merely an industrial ambition but a matter of national economic survival.

“If we do not intentionally support our own manufacturers, we will not be able to compete globally.

“MAN believe that the ‘Nigeria First’ policy is about building national resilience, creating jobs at home, saving foreign exchange, driving technological innovation, and giving Nigeria the productive foundation it needs to be competitive globally.

“To this end, effective legislation and implementation is key and must be carried out without any prevarication,” he said.

Amaka Obiefuna

No fewer than 578 young entrepreneurs across Nigeria have benefitted from Unity Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge — the Bank’s flagship entrepreneurial development initiative launched a few years ago.

Over this period, the Bank has invested in supporting budding entrepreneurs across multiple sectors to start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.

The ongoing initiative recently produced 30 new winners, who received a total grant of ₦16 million during the Batch B, Stream II edition of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation course, held across 10 states of the federation.

The winners, innovative young entrepreneurs developing solutions across various value chains such as fashion design, bag making, pastry and beverage production, event management, and vegetable farming, emerged after pitching their business ideas during the challenge at NYSC Orientation Camps in Lagos, Delta, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kwara, Benue, Abia, Kogi, Rivers, and Plateau States.

At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ipaja, Lagos State, Fiyinfoluwa Titilayo Ojo, who pitched a soap-making enterprise, emerged the overall winner to clinch the ₦800,000 grand prize. Ndukwe Chiamaka Joan, with her innovative Small Chops business proposal, claimed ₦500,000 as first runner-up, while Barakat Modinat Olamide secured ₦300,000 to support her beverage-making venture.

Expressing her excitement after emerging as the overall winner in Lagos, Fiyinfoluwa Titilayo Ojo described the experience as life-changing, stating, “I’m truly grateful to Unity Bank for this opportunity. Winning the Corpreneurship Challenge has given me the push and confidence I needed to scale my soap-making business. Beyond the grant, the experience taught me how to structure my business better and believe in its potential. It’s amazing to see a bank that genuinely invests in young people’s dreams.”

Across the remaining nine states, 27 other winners also emerged after pitching diverse business ideas ranging from fish and poultry farming to printing, piggery, and cake production.

Over the past six years, the Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has become an integral part of the NYSC programme, aligning with the Federal Government’s drive to upskill young graduates and promote entrepreneurship amid the scarcity of white-collar jobs. Each edition attracts thousands of entries from corps members whose business plans are evaluated for originality, marketability, job creation potential, and overall business acumen.

Speaking during the grand finale in Lagos, Unity Bank’s Divisional Head, Retail & SME, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to empowering Nigerian youth through enterprise. She said:

“At Unity Bank, we believe that the energy and creativity of young Nigerians are vital to the nation’s economic transformation. The Corpreneurship Challenge is our way of nurturing this potential — by giving corps members the financial boost, mentorship, and confidence to turn their ideas into thriving businesses. Seeing over 578 young entrepreneurs already impacted motivates us to keep expanding the initiative and deepening our support for the SME ecosystem.”

The Corpreneurship Challenge has earned Unity Bank national recognition for its role in youth empowerment and job creation, attracting over 2,000 applicants per edition.

In partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, the initiative continues to serve as a launchpad for youth-owned enterprises, offering grants of up to ₦800,000 to help corps members turn their business dreams into reality.

By Winifred Bosa