MAN commends FG for suspending 4% FOB levy by Customs

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has commended the Federal Government over the suspension of the 4% Free-on-Board charge on imports recently reintroduced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which came into effect on August 4, 2025.

In a statement yesterday, Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the move comes as a relief to the manufacturing sector, which according to him, has been anxiously concerned about the imposition of the charge.

“MAN is confident that the NCS, in keeping with its ongoing commendable reforms, will swiftly communicate the directive to all relevant commands, so that the charge will go off its portal, while we earnestly await the full restoration  of  the  B’Odogwu  platform,” he stated.

Ajayi-Kadir said the suspension of the levy has brought instant succour and encouragement to the manufacturing community in Nigeria and is great news to the business community.

His words: “”The Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister just saved our country from a self-inflicted price escalation that could have unsettled the widely acknowledged stability and repurposing this administration has achieved.

“Though it was meant to boost the much needed government revenue,   the   charge   is  akin   to  an   “own   goal”  in  a  football  match.

The reintroduction of the charge was quite concerning for us and we were genuinely apprehensive that it would lead to a significant escalation in the cost of raw materials, machinery and spare parts that are not available locally and therefore have to be imported.

“We reiterate our commitment to working with the government and the NCS to streamline trade processes, reduce the cost of doing business at the port and enhance fiscal transparency.”