The Nigeria Customs Service on behalf of the Federal Government has announced the implementation of the duty waiver on essential food imports, effective from July 15, 2024, through December 31, 2024, to make basic food commodities more affordable.
In July, the federal government approved a 150-day duty-free window to facilitate the importation of maize, husked brown rice, and wheat as part of measures to address escalating food inflation.
A statement by the Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, can be found below:
“Drawing from the Presidential directives aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by Nigerians due to the high prices of essential food items, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is pleased to announce that His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR through the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun has approved the regulation for the implementation of a Zero per cent duty rate and Value Added Text (VAT) exemption on selected basic food items. This policy is effective from 15th July 2024 and will remain in force until 31 December 2024”.