Customs Service granted over N60b duty concessions to attract Diaspora investment in 2025, says CG Adeniyi

By Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

The Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has disclosed that in 2025 alone, over ₦60 billion in Customs duty concessions were granted to entities involved in manufacturing or importing healthcare delivery systems.

Adeniyi made the disclosure when he played host to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM at the Service Headquarters in Abuja.

The CG of Customs, according to a statement by Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun,

Director, Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NiDCOM, referenced healthcare sector concessions introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in 2025 to reduce medical costs, discourage medical tourism, and attract diaspora investment

“This is an area we would like Nigerians in the diaspora to key into. Government is deliberately giving up revenue to encourage investment in healthcare. We can have discussions with those interested,” he stated.

While cautioning against abuse of humanitarian channels, the CG assured that the Service would continue discussions with NiDCOM to establish clear processes that distinguish genuine interventions from misuse.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has however expressed readiness to partner with Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), to deepen diaspora engagements, facilitate humanitarian interventions, and support strategic investments by Nigerians abroad.

During the courtesy call, both agencies reaffirmed the importance of structured collaboration in advancing national development.

Speaking during the visit, Dabiri-Erewa informed the Comptroller General on the preparations for this year’s Nigeria Diaspora Day, whose focus is on Diaspora Health Impact Initiative 2026 (DHII 2026) scheduled for July 20-23, 2026, across multiple states in Nigeria as part of the National Diaspora Day celebrations on July 25 and 26 in Abuja.

Dabiri-Erewa highlighted challenges faced by diaspora Nigerians who import medical equipment and relief materials for genuine humanitarian purposes in the country.

She called for the establishment of a structured framework to support legitimate diaspora interventions, including waivers for medical and educational equipment.

Under the initiative, seven major diaspora medical associations will be deployed to designated regions across the country to conduct medical outreaches and specialised training.

The associations will cover various spheres of medicine across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones before rounding off in Abuja for National Diaspora Day 2026.

Dabiri-Erewa appealed to the Service for seamless collaboration in participating at the 2026 Diaspora Day, clearing medical equipment and supplies to be brought in for the outreach, while also seeking moral, financial, and institutional support for the event.

She used the opportunity to invite the Comptroller General to participate in the Diaspora Quarterly Lecture Series, which attracts thousands of participants and to be physically present at the Global Diaspora Summit scheduled to hold in Canada on August 12, 2026.

Dabiri-Erewa also proposed joint training initiatives, including sensitisation programs for Customs officers on the diaspora phenomenon and capacity-building support for NiDCOM staff.