The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at boosting industrial growth, facilitating trade, and enhancing Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.
The agreement followed a high-level consultation in Lagos on Friday, 26 September 2025, where both parties signed a joint communiqué after over six hours of deliberations. The document was endorsed by Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and MAN President, Francis Meshioye.
CGC Adeniyi reaffirmed Customs’ commitment to balancing revenue generation with reforms that promote industrialisation and job creation. He announced that the Federal Government had approved key exemptions from the 4% Free on Board (FOB) levy to ease production costs and strengthen the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.
The exemptions, approved by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, cover raw materials, machinery, spare parts, humanitarian goods, healthcare-related imports, and commercial airline spares. Manufacturers not yet onboarded under Chapters 98 and 99 of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) will be fast-tracked, with payments already made treated as credit for future transactions.
The dialogue also addressed operational concerns such as multiple checkpoints, excessive alerts in the clearance system, and digital trade platform challenges. To tackle these, Adeniyi unveiled plans for a One-Stop-Shop trade platform to simplify regulatory processes, reduce bureaucracy, and shorten clearance times.
Deputy Comptroller-General Caroline Niagwan, in charge of Tariff and Trade, further highlighted ongoing initiatives such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme, Advance Ruling system, and Time Release Studies to ease trade.
MAN President Meshioye welcomed the reforms, describing them as a “new spirit of partnership and openness” that would enhance competitiveness and contribute to national growth.
Both bodies resolved to establish a tripartite consultation framework involving MAN, Customs, and the Ministry of Finance for continuous dialogue, monitoring, and policy review.
