According to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), it has begun consulting with stakeholders on a planned review of licensing renewal fees for Licensed Customs Agents in accordance with its statutory mandate under Sections 103 to 107 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and in support of ongoing reforms to strengthen professionalism and regulatory efficiency in the freight forwarding sector.
This was revealed on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement with executives of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
The Nigeria Customs Service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, revealed in a statement on Friday that this meeting was the first of several consultative sessions with industry participants to be held before to the anticipated implementation.
According to Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller of Customs, ensuring the integrity of Nigeria’s cargo clearing procedure still depends heavily on customs agents’ licenses.
He went on to say that the planned review was meant to address operational demands, reflect current economic realities, such as the value of currency rates, and make sure that only agents who satisfy the Service’s requirements for competence, compliance, and integrity remain in the system. The objectives of this effort are to improve the sector’s service delivery quality, streamline procedures, and encourage responsibility.
The Service highlights that the study is a component of larger modernization initiatives aimed at realigning the NCS to the changing demands of border management and international trade. In the end, it is anticipated to benefit lawful operators and the trading public by establishing a more open, predictable, and effective licensing system. After stakeholder consultations are concluded, the new licensing structure is expected to go into force in January 2026, according to NCS’s National Image Maker.
Maiwada added that Licensed Customs Agents who adhere to the new licensing framework will have access to improved engagement channels with Customs officers, quicker processing times, and better integration with the Service’s updated digital platforms, among other premium facilitation measures.
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He claims that the purpose of this compliance-driven incentive is to discourage sharp practices and promote conformity to professional norms.
Before the assessment is finalized and put into action, the NCS assures stakeholders of its dedication to an inclusive process and states that input from trade associations, individual operators, and pertinent government agencies will be carefully taken into account. The Customs picture creator exclaimed, “The Service reaffirms its commitment to equity, openness, and the advancement of a safe, competitive, and effective trading environment in Nigeria.
