Customs Service Calls for Review of Import Waivers and Act

The Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi, has urged the National Assembly to conduct a comprehensive legislative review of Nigeria’s import waiver and concession regime. This request was made during a two-day retreat in Abuja focused on legislative oversight in the context of customs modernization and reforms.

Adeniyi emphasized the need to assess whether the existing incentives justify their fiscal costs and continue to support the economic objectives for which they were established. He also called for a review of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, citing three years of implementation that revealed areas needing refinement.

Adeniyi pointed out that a significant volume of imports enters Nigeria under government-approved concessions and stressed the importance of evaluating the relevance of these waivers. He disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificate approvals reached N34 trillion in 2025, with 60% allocated for military hardware due to security challenges.

The Customs chief urged lawmakers to focus on automated systems and the effectiveness of tax exemptions rather than individual cargo clearances.