The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced sweeping relief measures for manufacturers and other critical sectors of the economy, granting exemptions from the four percent Free on Board (FOB) levy on raw materials, spare parts, and certain machinery.
The move was contained in a joint communique signed on Friday by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Francis Meshioye, following high-level consultations in Lagos.
According to the communique, the exemption, approved after consultations with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, covers strategic imports vital to industrial production, aviation, and healthcare.
This includes spare parts for commercial airlines, raw materials, and equipment listed under Chapters 98 and 99 of the Customs Tariff.
Manufacturers already under these chapters are advised to apply for pre-release of consignments to avoid demurrage.
Those not yet onboarded will be fast-tracked into the scheme through tripartite consultations involving MAN, NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Relief has also been granted to manufacturers who have already paid the levy but are not captured under the exemption chapters, with their payments set to be credited toward future customs transactions.
The exemptions extend further to government projects with Import Duty Exemption Certificates, humanitarian imports, and beneficiaries of the Presidential Initiative on healthcare value chains.
The NCS emphasized that the reforms reflect its commitment to supporting economic growth while safeguarding revenue generation.
Planned initiatives include streamlined one-stop-shop regulatory processes, reduced checkpoints, digital trade processing, and automated risk assessments to lower compliance costs.
In its reaction, MAN commended the NCS for its Authorised Economic Operator scheme, urging clearer guidelines for admission so more manufacturers can benefit. Both organisations also agreed to establish formal consultation mechanisms to ensure regular dialogue on customs policies, real-time feedback, and periodic reviews.
The outcome, stakeholders say, marks a decisive step in easing the cost of doing business, boosting industrial productivity, and strengthening Nigeria’s aviation and healthcare sectors.
