Customs: Importation of rice through land borders still banned

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says importation of rice through the land borders is still banned.

Bashir Adeniyi, comptroller-general (CG) of NCS, spoke during a routine inspection at the Apapa port on August 16.

Adeniyi spoke two days after NCS said it had started the implementation of the zero percent import duty and exemption of value-added tax (VAT) on basic food items.

Also, the CG said the suspension of food import tax does not apply to all types of rice, adding that the tax waiver is only for paddy and brown rice.

Other food items that will benefit from the tax suspension are maize, wheat, grain beans, and millet.

“Nothing has changed in the importation of rice except for the fact that brown rice or rice paddies will be allowed duty-free. That is the only amendment to the fiscal policies,” Adeniyi said.

“So, the extant policies on rice still remain the same. Importation through the land borders is still restricted and of course, it is already removed from the items that could not access forex so those who have the money, forex may want to import it, they can still bring it. 

“Ironically, we still have rice imported in the ports, some of them in smaller packages in packets, those processed rice, they still come into the country. They still come into the country. It is not under import prohibition.”

On October 12, 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the apex bank has lifted the ban on 43 items previously restricted from accessing foreign exchange (forex) from the investor’s and exporters’ (I&E) window.