Customs 4% FOB: Put The Policy On Hold, Nigerians Already Going Through A Lot

Customs 4% FOB: Put The Policy On Hold, Nigerians Already Going Through A Lot – Saraki Tackles Tinubu Govt

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has disagreed with the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the new 4% administration charge on Free On Board (FOB) announced by the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to Saraki, the Customs already has budgetary allocations, and there is no need to pile more pressure on importers and Nigerians who are already dealing with a lot of economic pressure.

FocalPoint Reports recalls the Customs Service in a statement on Wednesday, by the service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, announced the introduction of a 4 percent fee based on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.

Maiwada clarified that this initiative aligns with the stipulations outlined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.

This FOB charge is determined by the total value of the imported items, which encompasses both the cost of the goods and the transportation expenses incurred up to the loading port, and is vital for the efficient functioning of the service.

However, Saraki, in a reaction via a statement on Saturday, said the FOB is an unnecessary charge in a country that already has many businesses shutting down due to unfavourable business conditions.

He lamented that importers and business owners would eventually pass the cost down to consumers, thus putting more economic pressure on households and individuals already struggling to survive.

Saraki pointed out that the FOB charge is not even limited to luxury goods despite all the charges the Customs Service already imposes on importers.

He, therefore called on the government to reconsider the policy and put it on hold so Nigerians can have a breathing space.

“With our annual imports estimated at N71 trillion, the new 4% customs administration charge on Free On Board (FOB) value will come to N2.84 trillion. Does this mean that the Customs Service requires an additional N2.84 trillion annually to do its job?

“Don’t forget they already have a budget and get an incentive percentage on total customs duties collected.

“Now, they want to spend more than $1.5 billion on running costs in a country with the poverty index we have and with many businesses closing down.

“Importers will inevitably pass these costs on to consumers, further straining the budgets of millions of struggling households.

“This new fee of 4% is not even restricted to luxury goods but across all imports, so even for industries that import their raw materials whose duties are only 5%, the customs agency will now charge importers an extra 80% of the duty amount as administrative fees!

“How can this make sense or support the government’s policy of promoting the ease of doing business?

“The government must urgently reconsider this policy and put it on hold immediately. Especially not now with what Nigerians are going through,” Saraki wrote.

Breaking: ASUU suspends 2-week warning strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has suspended its two-week warning strike it declared last week across all public universities in the country. The union announced the suspension on Wednesday at a press conference held at its headquarters in Abuja. President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, who read a prepared speech before newsmen, explained that the development followed intervention by the Senate and some other well-meaning Nigerians. However, he sad the National Executive Council of the Union resolved to give the government a one-month window to address all contending areas.

JUST IN: If Tinubu Had Told Me, I Wouldn’t Have Agreed To Rivers State Of Emergency Rule – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that he would not have agreed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he had discussed his move to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State. Wike noted that he is not in conflict with the suspended Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara He stressed his opposition on the State of Emergency rule, stating that only the President knows the right time to lift it. While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Wike remarked that Fubara has permitted himself to be manipulated by his adversaries to oppose him. The FCT Minister said: “ I made it clear that this impunity will not stand, so what is happening in PDP is what I call undertakers because I see no reason why you will put yourself under that kind of crisis. “I don’t have any crisis with him (Fubara). I’m not the President who declared a State of Emergency; if Mr President had called me, I wouldn’t have agreed to the State of Emergenc...

Woman Burned to Death, Accused of Kidnapping 7yrs Old Boy in Delta

By Tessy ogbemi An angry mob set ablaze a woman accused in a failed child kidnapping attempt in Agbarho community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. The incident happened on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. An eyewitness disclosed at the scene of the incident at Ekwvere Road claimed that the woman hid the seven year old boy she allegedly abducted in a sack, adding that she was even carrying a Bible on one hand. Community sources said some residents in the area accosted the lady when they observed the way she was dragging the sack, to know what she had in it. "She was unstable when they asked her to disclose what she was carrying in the sack. When the bag was forced open, they found a seven year old child in it. They shouted and it attracted a large crowd,” a source said. It was gathered that the angry mob immediately brought a used tyre to the scene, which they forced down her neck after beating her to a pulp. “The lady and the tyre we...

FocalPoint Reports

Search This Blog