223 firms get 21-day Customs ultimatum on N379.6bn import duty

223 firms get 21-day Customs ultimatum on N379.6bn import duty

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has issued a final ultimatum of 21 days to 223 companies that violated import regulations to regularise their status or risk forfeiting bonds worth N379.6bn to the federal government.

The grace period will start counting from July 28, 2025, and offers opportunity for affected importers to comply with regulatory requirements or face strict enforcement actions.

Assistant Comptroller of Customs and NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, announced on Friday that importers under the TAP scheme must regularise their importation status by either applying for a valid extension, re-exporting the goods under customs supervision, or converting the goods to home use through the payment of appropriate duties.

The TAP scheme, governed by international standards and national laws, allows importers to bring goods into Nigeria temporarily without paying full import duties.

The concession is grounded in the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and Sections 142 to 144 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

It mandates that goods imported under TAP must be re-exported within a specified period without modification beyond normal wear and tear.

Customs officials discovered during recent compliance checks that 223 companies had defaulted on their TAP obligations.

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Maiwada disclosed: “Recent compliance checks by the Service revealed that 223 companies have failed to adhere to the conditions of the TAP regime.

“These defaults amount to a total bond value of N379.6b.

“These importers neither re-exported the goods nor fulfilled their obligation to convert them to home use by paying the necessary duties.”

The law requires all TAP beneficiaries to back their duty exemption with bank bonds, which serve as financial safeguards in cases of non-compliance.

TAP approvals are initially valid for twelve months and may be extended by another year.

In special circumstances, importers can receive a six-month extension followed by a final six-month grace period.

Failure to meet the conditions after these durations constitutes a legal breach.

“In line with Section 143 of the NCS Act 2023, the Nigeria Customs Service is empowered to discharge the bond value as customs duty into the Federal Government’s account if the importer fails to meet the stated obligations,” Maiwada said.

He continued: “The 21-day grace period, therefore, serves as a final window for affected importers to take corrective action.

“At the expiration of this deadline, the Service will commence enforcement actions, which may include bond invocation, imposition of penalties, and legal proceedings.”

The customs service, led by Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi, restated its commitment to enforcing TAP regulations, safeguarding national revenue, and upholding the integrity of the temporary importation system.

Maiwada called on stakeholders and importers to act within the 21-day window to avoid punitive consequences.

223 firms get 21-day Customs ultimatum on N379.6bn import duty