The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that it granted over ₦60 billion in customs duty concessions in 2025 to encourage diaspora investment and support humanitarian initiatives, as it forges a strategic partnership with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
The announcement came during a courtesy visit by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, to the NCS headquarters in Abuja. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols at NiDCOM, in a release stated that the meeting aimed to institutionalize structured engagement between Customs and Nigeria’s diaspora community, reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to harnessing diaspora contributions for national development.
Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the challenges faced by diaspora Nigerians who import medical equipment and relief materials for genuine humanitarian purposes. She called for a structured framework to support legitimate diaspora interventions, including waivers for medical and educational equipment. Under the initiative, seven major diaspora medical associations will conduct medical outreaches and specialized training across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones before culminating in Abuja for the National Diaspora Day celebrations on July 25-26, 2026.
She also invited the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to participate in the Diaspora Quarterly Lecture Series and the Global Diaspora Summit in Canada on August 12, 2026. Joint training initiatives, including sensitization programs for customs officers on diaspora affairs, were also proposed.
In response, Adeniyi commended NiDCOM for promoting Nigeria’s image globally and strengthening diaspora ties. He noted that while revenue generation remains central, the NCS has prioritized trade facilitation, including dedicated corridors for perishable and life-saving goods.
“The Service will support anything that enhances development back home and our reputation abroad as enablers, not impediments,” Adeniyi said. He affirmed that genuine humanitarian and medical outreach materials would receive similar considerations, subject to proper documentation.
He also referenced healthcare sector concessions introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in 2025, aimed at reducing medical costs, discouraging medical tourism, and attracting diaspora investment. “Over ₦60 billion in customs duty concessions were granted to entities involved in healthcare delivery last year. This is an area we would like Nigerians in the diaspora to key into,” he said.
The meeting, attended by senior officials from both NCS and NiDCOM, represented a major step in strengthening diaspora engagement and facilitating strategic investment and humanitarian support across Nigeria.
