The Nigeria Customs Service has granted relief to manufacturers and key sectors of the economy by exempting raw materials, spare parts, and select machinery from the four per cent Free on Board levy.
This was disclosed in a communiqué jointly signed on Friday by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Francis Meshioye, following a high-level consultation in Ikeja, Lagos.
The communiqué explained that the exemption, approved after consultations with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, applies to strategic imports critical to industrial production, aviation, and healthcare.
Importers of commercial airline spare parts, as well as raw materials, machines, and spare parts classified under Chapters 98 and 99 of the Customs Tariff, are covered under the exemption.
Manufacturers within these categories are advised to apply for pre-release of consignments to avoid demurrage charges.
For MAN members importing raw materials and equipment not yet listed under Chapters 98 and 99, the communiqué noted that measures will be put in place to bring them on board quickly so they can also benefit from the exemption.
To this end, MAN, the NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Finance have agreed to collaborate closely to fast-track their inclusion.
A tripartite consultation will begin immediately to work out the modalities for the onboarding process.
The communiqué further provided relief for manufacturers who have already paid the 4 per cent FOB levy but are not yet captured under Chapters 98 and 99.
Their payments will be credited to their accounts and applied toward future customs transactions once the onboarding process is completed.
The NCS emphasized that the exemptions reflect its commitment to supporting critical sectors of the Nigerian economy while maintaining its mandate of revenue generation.
“Beyond existing exemptions, discussions focused on additional trade facilitation initiatives being implemented by the NCS to support manufacturing operations. These include the development of one-stop-shop frameworks to streamline regulatory processes, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, and systematic reduction of unnecessary checkpoints that add costs without delivering value,” the communique stated.
In its response, MAN commended the NCS for introducing the Authorised Economic Operator scheme, which grants compliant traders special clearance privileges.
The association, however, called for clear admission guidelines to enable more manufacturers to participate and benefit.
Both organisations also agreed to deepen collaboration through formal consultation frameworks.
These will provide for regular dialogue on policy developments, proactive engagement ahead of new customs measures, real-time feedback to assess impact, and periodic review meetings to evaluate progress and identify new areas of cooperation.
