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Nigeria Customs Imposes 4% Charge On FOB Imports

Published

32 minutes ago

February 7, 2025

Austin Ojomah

A 4% charge has been placed on Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

This was announced by the NCS spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Maiwada noted that the directive was in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.

“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 per cent charge on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.

“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential to driving the effective operation of the service.

“Furthermore, the NCS acknowledges concerns raised by stakeholders over the sustained collection of 1 per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) fee.

“It is a regulatory charge imposed for funding Nigeria’s Destination Inspection Scheme alongside the 4 per cent FOB charge.

As a responsive government agency, the service wishes to assure the general public that extensive consultation is ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Finance to address all agitations raised by our esteemed stakeholders, “ he said.

He urged all stakeholders to comply with the directive, which was conceived after extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders and organisations.

“All stakeholders are urged to support this legally binding initiative.

“As the measures introduced in alignment with the NCSA 2023 reflects a balanced approach born out of extensive consultations with industry players, importers, and regulatory bodies,” he said.

Related Topics:4% Charge On FOB Imports Nigeria Customs

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Insecurity! Bandits Ask For Additional N44m, 10 Motorcycles After Collecting N16m Ransom

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US aviation authorities panic as plane goes missing midair

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Insecurity! Bandits Ask For Additional N44m, 10 Motorcycles After Collecting N16m Ransom

Published

28 minutes ago

February 7, 2025

Austin Ojomah

The bandits who kidnapped the Head of the Zamfara State Office of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Alh. Bashir Aliyu Abara Gummi, are demanding an additional N44m ransom to release him after collecting N16m from his family.

Gummi was abducted in October 2024 along Funtua-Gusau Road while travelling to Abuja to represent the Zamfara State Government at a meeting.

The bandits opened fire at moving vehicles, k!lling two persons before kidnapping the coordinator and scores of other travellers.

It was gathered that his family managed to gather N16,000,000 ransom which the kidnappers accepted but refused to release him.

According to a source, they are now demanding a new ransom of N44,000,000, along with 10 motorcycles.

“We implore the State Government to take immediate action to save this important individual, as the kidnappers have set a deadline of Thursday, February 6, 2025, which was yesterday”, the family source added.

Meanwhile, the bandits have released a video of the victim, pleading for help.

News

US aviation authorities panic as plane goes missing midair

Published

48 minutes ago

February 7, 2025

Austin Ojomah

US authorities are looking for a small plane carrying 10 people that has been reported missing in the state of Alaska.

The US Coast Guard for the Alaska region said a Cessna Caravan craft was 12 miles (19km) offshore on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome when “its position was lost”.

The two cities are some 146 miles from each other across the Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea on Alaska’s western coast.

Search and rescue crews “are working to get to the last known coordinates” of the flight, state officials said in a statement.

They said they had been notified of an “overdue” aircraft operated by the airline Bering Air at 16:00 local time on Thursday (01:00 GMT).

The 10 people on board comprised nine passengers and a pilot, the update from the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. There was no information immediately available about who was on board.

The volunteer fire department in the landing city Nome said the pilot had told air traffic controllers that “he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared”.

David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air, was quoted by Sun UK as saying that the aircraft left an airstrip in Unalakleet at 2:37 pm before officials lost all contact less than an hour later.

It was 12 miles offshore when it was last sighted, according to the US Coast Guard.

Nome Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement: “We are currently responding to a report of a missing Bering Air caravan.

“We are doing an active ground search from Nome and from White Mountain.

“Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time.

“National Guard, Coast Guard, and Troopers have been notified and are active in the search.”

News

Nigeria Backs Olufemi Elias for ICJ Seat – Ambassador Ojukwu

Published

4 hours ago

February 7, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

Nigeria is fully committed to securing a position on the 15-member International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, with Dr. Olufemi Elias as the country’s candidate for the upcoming election in November 2026.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, reaffirmed this commitment during a courtesy visit by Elias to the ministry’s headquarters at Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja. During the visit, he formally sought the government’s support for his candidacy.

Dr. Elias, a distinguished legal scholar, brings extensive experience in international law. His late father, Taslim Olawale Elias, made history as the first African to serve as President of the ICJ in 1982 and later as a judge at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Ambassador Ojukwu emphasized that Elias’ expertise in the United Nations system and international legal affairs makes him a strong contender for the role. She noted that his candidacy aligns with Nigeria’s longstanding commitment to global justice, human rights, and the rule of law.

Congratulating him on his achievements, Ojukwu acknowledged the significance of Nigeria’s representation at the ICJ, stressing that Africa remains a key constituency in international legal affairs. Given Nigeria’s prominent role on the continent, she affirmed that the country must have a voice in the ICJ.

She said: “With your background, your history within the institution and the UN system, your years of experience, even though it will be keenly contested, I don’t see the feasibility of you not emerging.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whose officers have been your major campaigners, I congratulate you. Be rest assured that we will keep pushing until you get there and we have absolute confidence that not only will you make Nigeria proud but Africa. And you will leave your footprint on the global map. Be assured that between now and the election, we will keep pushing. The ICJ must be made fit-for-purpose. Seeing what is happening now with DRC and Rwanda, it means you have something already on your plate”.

Dr. Olufemi Elias expressed to the minister that his career has been dedicated entirely to public international law, with most of his experience gained as an international civil servant.

He extended his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for endorsing his candidacy, assuring that if elected as a judge of the ICJ, he would serve with dedication and integrity.

Elias further emphasized that he possesses the necessary qualifications for the position and pledged to uphold Nigeria’s reputation with honor and distinction.

“I can do the work because I am there. That’s a big boost for me. So, I have received Nigerian President’s endorsement. I have come to see you to please have my matter on your card whenever you meet.

“The election is November 2026- that’s almost two years away. What this means is that we are starting on time,” Elias said.

Dr. Olufemi Elias has built a distinguished career spanning over 25 years in international organizations, holding key judicial and administrative positions. He has served as a Judge and Vice-Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal, a Judge for Staff Appeals at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and the Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal.

His expertise includes developing and implementing policies for resolving employment disputes, and he recently contributed as a member of the Independent Panel of Experts reviewing the Dispute Resolution System at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Dr. Elias has also held significant leadership roles within the United Nations, including serving as the Registrar of the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General. Additionally, he was the Legal Adviser (Director) at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and worked with the UN Compensation Commission as both a legal adviser in its Governing Council Secretariat and as Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary.

Beyond his international service, he has an extensive academic background. Earlier in his career, he lectured in law at the University of Buckingham and King’s College, University of London. Since 2006, he has been a visiting Professor of International Law at Queen Mary, University of London, and has taught at several prestigious institutions, including the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, the University of Amsterdam, and Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

A respected legal scholar, Dr. Elias is a member of the Institut de Droit International and was honored with the American Society of International Law’s Honorary Member Award in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to international law. He is also a member of the Nigerian Bar.