By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a 21-day grace period, effective from Monday, July 28, 2025, for importers who have defaulted on the terms of their Temporary Admission Permits (TAP). The affected importers are required to regularize their importation status by either applying for a valid extension, re-exporting the items under Customs supervision, or converting the goods to home use, subject to the payment of appropriate duties.
Temporary importation is a regulated concession under international and national customs frameworks. It allows the temporary admission of goods into the country without full duty payment, provided such goods are re-exported within a specified period without alteration beyond normal depreciation.
Recent compliance checks by the NCS revealed that 223 companies have failed to adhere to the conditions of the TAP regime. These defaults amount to a total bond value of ₦379,576,045,802.27. The importers have neither re-exported the goods nor fulfilled their obligation to convert them to home use by paying the necessary duties.
By law, all TAP beneficiaries are required to secure their duty exemption with bank bonds, which serve as financial guarantees in case of non-compliance. Failure to comply with the terms of the TAP after the specified periods constitutes a breach. The NCS is empowered to discharge the bond value as customs duty into the Federal Government’s account if the importer fails to meet the stated obligations.
In line with Section 143 of the NCS Act 2023, the Nigeria Customs Service is empowered to discharge the bond value as customs duty into the Federal Government’s account if the importer fails to meet the stated obligations. The 21- day grace period, therefore, serves as a final window for affected importers to take corrective action. At the expiration of this deadline, the Service will commence enforcement actions, which may include bond invocation, imposition of penalties, and legal proceedings.
The Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, remains fully committed to enforcin gregulatory compliance, protecting national revenue, and maintaining the integrity of the TIP framework. Stakeholders and the trading public are advised to take advantage of this grace period and avoid actions that could result in sanctions.
