The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its nationwide sensitisation campaign ahead of the July 1, 2026, implementation of the Green Tax Surcharge, aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and encouraging the importation of cleaner vehicles into Nigeria.
The awareness campaign is designed to educate importers, freight forwarders, customs agents and other stakeholders on the new policy and related fiscal adjustments before enforcement begins.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme held at the Apapa Area Command on Friday, June 26, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Zonal Coordinator for Zone A, Mohammed Babadende, said the exercise was intended to ensure stakeholders fully understand the policy and its implementation.
“This sensitisation is designed to ensure that every stakeholder clearly understands the policy before implementation. Our objective is to eliminate uncertainty, promote voluntary compliance and guarantee uniform application of the Green Tax Surcharge across all commands,” Babadende said.
The event, themed “Implementation of the Green Tax Surcharge and Related Fiscal Adjustments,” brought together Customs officers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers and other industry stakeholders.
Delivering a technical presentation, the Comptroller in charge of Tariff, System Audit and Coordination, Murtala Muazu, explained that the Green Tax Surcharge differs from conventional import taxes and would require a separate assessment process.
According to him, the Service has introduced a simplified implementation framework through the Harmonised System (HS) Code declaration platform to facilitate seamless compliance.
Muazu also disclosed that the Federal Government has reduced import adjustment levies on vehicles to cushion the impact of the new environmental surcharge. Under the revised structure, the levy on new vehicles has been cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been reduced from 15 per cent to five per cent.
Customs Area Controllers at the event urged importers and licensed customs agents to support the initiative, noting that the reduction in import levies is expected to lower the cost of doing business, facilitate legitimate trade and ultimately reduce transportation costs across the country.
Stakeholders welcomed the introduction of the Green Tax Surcharge but called for sustained public awareness campaigns to ensure broader understanding and smooth compliance as implementation begins on July 1.
