Nigeria’s Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Friday defended the introduction of a new $300 de-minimis threshold for low-value imports and passenger baggage, saying the policy is crucial to easing airport congestion, supporting e-commerce, and aligning Nigeria with global practice.
Adeniyi spoke during the November edition of the Meet-the-Press briefing at the Aso Rock Villa, where he also confirmed that Nigeria will host a landmark Africa-wide customs partnership conference from November 17–19, 2025.
The new regime replaces the long-obsolete ₦50,000 benchmark, which Adeniyi described as “next to nothing” and a major source of conflict between travellers and customs officers at arrival terminals.
“What our law said before was the equivalent of ₦50,000. We know ₦50,000 is next to nothing, and that is what has created issues when people arrive at our border stations or airports and we ask them to pay duties,” he said.
“So, if you show up with anything valued over $300, you will pay duty. When it is a personal effect, these are things on you, subject to reasonable quantity. But if you come in with 10 pairs of shoes in different sizes, that is no longer a personal effect.”
Approved by the Nigeria Customs Service Board, the $300 threshold takes effect on September 8, 2025, and covers e-commerce parcels, passenger baggage, and other low-value consignments. Each traveller will be allowed four duty-free utilisations per year. Prohibited or restricted goods will remain taxable and controlled.
Adeniyi said the move modernises border procedures and will speed up clearance for genuine travellers and small-value shipments, especially as cross-border e-commerce continues to grow.
He added that the new benchmark aligns Nigeria with international customs standards, allowing authorities to focus enforcement resources on high-risk or high-value imports.
