Nigeria Introduces Advance Ruling System to Ease Port Congestion

• Nigeria Customs Service introduces Advance Ruling System to provide importers with crucial information on importation procedures
• The initiative, supported by the German Government, aims to enhance trade accessibility, predictability, and compliance with customs regulations

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has rolled out the Advance Ruling System, which is intended to furnish importers with essential information regarding product importation procedures.

Implemented with support from the German Government under the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), the initiative is part of a technical assistance program jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) oversees its implementation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP).

Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adeniyi, underscored that the system, as stipulated in Article III of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), aims to enhance accessibility to trade procedures, customs regulations, and requirements for economic operators.

Adeniyi emphasized that the implementation of Advanced Ruling in Nigeria has encountered obstacles and delays but expressed optimism about its benefits in reducing uncertainty and enhancing trade predictability.

Duke Benjamin, representing the Country Director of GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, lauded the Nigeria Customs Service for launching the Advance Ruling System.