The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the implementation of a Safe Passage framework for personal vehicles temporarily imported or transiting through Nigeria by international travellers.
Announcing the initiative in a statement on Tuesday, Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the policy is anchored on the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and relevant international conventions governing temporary admission and vehicle transit.
Maiwada explained that the framework applies to personal, non-commercial vehicles owned by international visitors entering Nigeria for tourism, diplomatic, business, or personal purposes, adding that the move is aimed at easing cross-border mobility while strengthening Nigeria’s compliance with global trade and transit obligations.
According to him, the implementation derives legal backing from Sections 142, 143, 144 and 245 of the NCS Act, 2023, as well as international instruments including the Revised Kyoto Convention, UN TIR Convention (1975), Istanbul Convention (1990) and the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.
He noted that travellers are required to present documents such as an international passport, international driver’s licence, vehicle registration, insurance documents and Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) at entry points.
“Upon satisfactory inspection, a Temporary Vehicle Admission Permit valid for up to 90 days will be issued and electronically recorded. An extension of up to 30 days may be granted with the approval of the relevant Customs Area Controller,” Maiwada stated.
He stressed that vehicles admitted under the scheme must not be sold, leased, transferred, modified or used for commercial activities, adding that Customs offices must be notified immediately in cases of accident, theft or breakdown.
Maiwada reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to transparency, accountability and trade facilitation, noting that the initiative reinforces Nigeria’s role in regional integration and cross-border cooperation.
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