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The Federal Government granted import duty waivers and exemptions estimated at ₦34 trillion in 2025 through Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDECs), with about 60 per cent of the concessions linked to military hardware and equipment.

The disclosure was made by the Nigeria Customs Service as details emerged on the scale of fiscal exemptions approved under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

According to the Customs data, military-related imports accounted for approximately ₦20.4 trillion of the total waiver value, reflecting the government’s effort to strengthen national security and equip the armed forces amid continuing security challenges across the country.

The remaining estimated ₦13.6 trillion covered a range of government-backed interventions and priority sectors considered important to economic development and social welfare.

Among the beneficiaries were importers of compressed natural gas infrastructure, electric and hybrid vehicles, medical supplies and industrial machinery.

Food intervention programmes were also included among the areas covered by the exemptions, indicating that the waivers were not limited to security-related imports.

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Import duty exemptions are generally used by governments to reduce the cost of bringing specific goods into a country when such imports are considered strategically important. In Nigeria, the IDEC system allows qualifying imports to receive exemptions from certain customs duties and related charges subject to government approval.

The scale of the 2025 concessions, however, places renewed attention on the financial implications of import waivers and the need for effective monitoring.

While exemptions can help reduce the cost of critical equipment and support targeted government policies, large-scale waivers can also reduce potential customs revenue if they are poorly administered or extended to imports that do not meet the intended criteria.

The Customs Service has increasingly focused on modernising its processes and improving revenue collection while supporting government policies designed to encourage investment and reduce economic pressures.

The military component of the 2025 waivers comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s continued efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.

Nigeria has faced persistent security challenges involving terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes, creating pressure for increased spending on military equipment, surveillance systems, mobility and other security infrastructure.

Meanwhile, exemptions on CNG infrastructure and electric or hybrid vehicles are linked to the government’s broader push for alternative energy sources and lower transportation costs.

Medical supplies and industrial machinery also remain critical to efforts to strengthen domestic production and improve access to essential goods.

The ₦34 trillion figure is therefore likely to fuel further debate over how import exemptions are structured, monitored and evaluated, particularly as the government seeks to balance revenue mobilisation with economic interventions.

For businesses and investors, the waiver regime can provide incentives to participate in priority sectors. For the government, the challenge remains ensuring that approved exemptions deliver measurable economic or public-interest benefits without creating opportunities for abuse.

The latest Customs disclosure highlights the enormous fiscal value attached to Nigeria’s import exemption system and puts greater emphasis on transparency in the approval and implementation of IDECs.

The Traffic NG
import duty
Amarachi Ihesiulo
The Traffic NG

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