The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), is considering the removal of the current seven percent surcharge on all imports as part of a proposal to reduce import duties.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, revealed during a town hall meeting on the Bodogwu clearance system that the proposal to scrap the surcharge is currently under legislative review.
Adeniyi explained that eliminating this surcharge would lower duties on all goods entering Nigeria, thereby reducing the overall cost of doing business at the nation’s ports.
“At the start of this meeting, I emphasized that the Bodogwu system aims to cut operational costs at our ports,” he said. “With the right technology and collaboration from stakeholders, we can achieve meaningful progress.”
This initiative responds to concerns raised by the business community, particularly the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), which opposed the NCS’s introduction of a 4% Free on Board (FOB) levy. MAN argued that the levy would increase import costs for raw materials and finished products, ultimately raising prices for consumers and threatening local industries.
The NCS had initially introduced the levy to replace the 1% Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) as part of efforts to fund modernization and enhance operations. However, due to strong opposition, the implementation was put on hold.
Removing the seven percent surcharge is expected to encourage more businesses to utilize Nigerian ports and enhance the country’s trade competitiveness.
