Nigeria Customs Service Regulates Courier Companies

The Nigeria — Nigeria Customs Service has launched a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to regulate courier companies operating under the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterm. This initiative, led by Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and announced by Abdullahi Maiwada, aims to establish a unified framework for registration, manifest submission, declaration, valuation, clearance, delivery, and compliance monitoring. The SOP is grounded in international legal standards such as the United Arab Emirates — Dubai International Chamber Incoterms 2020, the Nigeria — Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, and the World Customs Organization SAFE Framework of Standards. Courier companies are now required to obtain a license from the Nigeria — Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, submit mandatory documents including Nigeria — Corporate Affairs Commission registration papers, and provide an Advance Electronic Manifest 24 hours before shipment arrival. They must also file Single Goods Declarations via the B’Odogwú platform and complete full payment of customs duties, VAT, and other statutory levies before clearance. The Nigeria — Nigeria Customs Service has also instituted robust monitoring through periodic Post-Clearance Audits and will impose sanctions for violations, including license suspension, goods seizure, and prosecution.