CUSTOM EXCISE TARIFF VARIATION AMENDMENT ORDER

What Is This Policy?

The Customs, Excise Tariff (Variation) Amendment Order 2024 is a presidential fiscal instrument that waives import duties, levies, and Value Added Tax on a basket of basic food items for a defined period, enabling duty-free importation of selected staple foods to reduce food price inflation, which reached 39.53% year-on-year by mid-2024.

Who Does It Target?

Importers, distributors, processors, and manufacturers of eligible food commodities: maize, wheat, cowpeas, husked brown rice, millet, sorghum, dried fish, and other designated staple foods Food processing companies that use imported raw materials as inputs for domestic food production Retailers and market traders who source imported food goods for final consumer sale Nigerian consumers who are most affected by food price inflation, particularly low-income households

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Control and reduce food price inflation by waiving all import duties, levies, and VAT on designated basic food commodities for a specified relief period Stimulate the domestic agricultural value chain by using imported inputs to supplement shortfalls in local production during supply gaps Increase the volume and reduce the cost of food available in Nigerian markets, particularly in urban centres with high food price pressure Provide immediate consumer relief while structural agricultural reforms take hold over the medium term

Key Features

Zero-Duty Basket: A schedule of essential food items qualifies for full waiver of customs duty, CET surcharge, CISS levy, ETLS, and VAT; importers pay only standard port handling and clearance fees Eligible Food Items: Includes maize, husked brown rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, cowpeas, dried fish, dried beans, and other items in the Ministerial Schedule; the list is updated by Ministerial order Importers Register: Only companies registered and verified with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Single Window are eligible to import under the duty-free waiver; applications submitted through the NCS portal NCS Implementation Guidelines: The Federal Ministry of Finance issued detailed Regulation guidelines signed by the Minister of Finance for NCS to operationalise the waiver from August 15, 2024 Agricultural Supply Chain Clause: Importers of food items who source from domestic Nigerian producers for at least 40% of their product line receive priority in waiver approvals in subsequent rounds Revenue Monitoring: FIRS and NCS maintain a real-time tracking dashboard of duty-free imports to assess fiscal cost and ensure the waiver does not become a channel for re-export of goods

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active; duty-free window opened August 15, 2024; NCS processed large volumes of clearances under the order in the second half of 2024 Implementing Body: Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Federal Ministry of Finance; Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Fiscal Cost: Initial estimates projected a revenue cost of N150 to N200 billion for the four-month period; offset by estimated reduction in food-related social protection spending Review Mechanism: The Ministry of Finance conducted a mid-implementation review in October 2024 to assess price pass-through to consumers; extension decisions based on NBS food price data

How to Access

Importers: Register with NCS through the Nigeria Single Window Trade Portal (nsw.gov.ng); obtain HS Code classification for eligible food items; submit import declaration under the duty-free regime Food Processors: Apply to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for certification as a food processing company eligible for the agricultural value chain preference clause Verification: All imports under the Order are subject to NCS physical examination and post-clearance audit to prevent diversion of duty-free goods Contact: NCS: customs.gov.ng | NCS Single Window: nsw.gov.ng | FMOF: finance.gov.ng

Important Terms

Re-export Ban: Goods imported under the duty-free waiver are prohibited from re-export; violation attracts seizure, penalties, and suspension from further duty-free import eligibility Time-Limited: The duty-free window is time-limited and subject to periodic Ministerial review; importers should monitor finance.gov.ng for extensions or modifications

Official Resources

Website: finance.gov.ng | customs.gov.ng | nsw.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Secretariat, Abuja | NCS Headquarters, 51 Ahmadu Bello Way, Wuse, Abuja Policy Summary | Source: Federal Ministry of Finance Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Arise News, KPMG Nigeria, PwC Nigeria | March 2026

Legal Framework

The Customs, Excise Tariff (Variation) Amendment Order 2024 is a presidential executive instrument issued under the Customs and Excise Management Act and the President's powers under Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution to direct fiscal policy. It operates alongside the Finance Act, the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, and the Value Added Tax Act. The Federal Government's food security emergency declaration and the National Food Security Act provide the policy rationale.