The Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have reached a mutual understanding following a stakeholders’ consultation meeting.
The meeting, which brought together leadership from key freight forwarding associations, was called by the NCS under its statutory mandate in Sections 103 to 107 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. However, the proposal to increase licensing fees met stiff resistance from industry players, who described the new rates as excessive and requested more time to consult their members before giving feedback by December.
According to a press release by the CCC, Chairman ,Fwdr Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju the committee had engaged with all parties to ensure the situation was not allowed to escalate.
He noted that while the NCS remains firm on the enforcement of the 4% Free on Board (FOB) levy citing its backing under the NCS Act , the Service also showed responsiveness by discontinuing some charges. These include the 7% backstage payment on total annual revenue collection and the 1% Comprehensive Inspection and Supervision Scheme (CISS), both of which have now been removed from the Customs portal. He clarified, however, that the 7% port development levy remains untouched, as it does not fall under NCS jurisdiction.
The CCC also addressed widespread technical hitches experienced during the ongoing migration from NICIS II to the new B’Odogwu platform. Olanrewaju confirmed that directives have been issued to the relevant units to resolve the issues promptly, with the goal of restoring seamless processing for customs agents and freight forwarders.
The committee reiterated its commitment to transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder inclusion in customs operations, calling for sustained cooperation among all players in the industry.
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