Following the Nigeria Customs Service’s decision to restore a four percent Free on Board (FOB) duty and impose a major hike in licensing fees for clearing agents, imports into Nigeria will get drastically more expensive.
Replacing the former one percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) surcharge and the seven percent duty surcharge, the FOB charge, based on the value of imported goods plus transportation costs to the port of loading, replaces both. Comptroller General Bashir Adeniyi says that the resurrected tariff is meant to support advanced customs technology expenditures. This policy is already raising questions about how much burden customers will eventually bear.
Customs officials have said that the surcharge secretly increases costs across all import categories. Whether it is used cars, spare parts, home items, or industrial machinery, the final duty computations now include the four percent charge combined with current taxes and VAT, therefore increasing the financial burden on both companies and individuals.
Along with the FOB charge, The News Chronicle understands the NCS will start dramatically raising license renewal and registration fees for clearing agents starting January 2026. Annual license renewals, presently at N215,000 plus N15,000 payable to each command, will jump to N4 million. The cost of a fresh license will rise from N600,000 to N10 million. Industry insiders caution that these changes could drive many small-scale agents out of work, compromise supply chains, and even more inflate consumer prices.
Customs claims that the move is required to reflect current economic reality, especially currency depreciation and growing operating expenses, in line with the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023. Officials have also said that increased fees will qualify authorized agents for premium perks, including priority processing, more communication lines with customs officers, and incorporation with upgraded digital systems.
Critics worry that the timing may exacerbate the difficulties of an already stressed-out economy, even though authorities claim these changes will update trade facilitation and improve Nigeria’s reputation, especially since the nation chairs the World Customs Organisation Council. Inflation is still high; consumer purchasing power is low; and higher import costs are likely to result in more costly products throughout marketplaces.
Importers as well as customers are preparing for a ripple effect right now that will challenge the resiliency of companies and homes in the following months.
