The Federal Government has approved a new customs policy exempting imported goods valued at $300 or less from the payment of duties and related taxes.
The measure, which takes effect Monday, September 8, 2025, was endorsed during the 63rd regular meeting of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Board, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on September 2.
In a statement on Sunday, NCS National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, said the move establishes a De Minimis Threshold Value for low-value consignments imported through express shipments or passenger baggage.
“This decision aligns with global best practices to simplify clearance procedures, facilitate trade, and support e-commerce stakeholders as well as travellers,” Maiwada said.
The $300 duty-free limit applies to e-commerce consignments, passenger baggage, and other low-value imports, limited to four importations annually. Goods above the threshold or those on the prohibited list will continue to attract duties and levies.
The framework also allows immediate release and clearance of eligible consignments without post-release documentation, while warning against invoice manipulation and duty evasion. Offenders risk forfeiture, arrest, and sanctions under the NCS Act, 2023.
Maiwada said the NCS would set up support channels to assist stakeholders during the policy’s implementation.
The initiative is expected to boost cross-border e-commerce, reduce clearance delays, and strengthen Nigeria’s trade facilitation role in West Africa.
The NCS Board also considered disciplinary cases involving some officers.
Two were demoted for acts of misconduct captured in viral videos, while two others were reinstated after review.
The disciplined officers will undergo medical re-evaluation as part of the Service’s zero-tolerance stance on banned substances and unethical behaviour.
