From next month, importation of vehicles through the land borders will be prohibited, according to a new prohibition order issued by the Federal Government to that effect. The prohibition order covers all new and used vehicles.
A statement issued on Monday by the Nigeria Customs Service indicated that the ban was sequel to a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to the seaports with effect from January 1, 2017. The restriction on importation of vehicles follows that of rice, whose imports through the land borders had been banned since April 2016.
In the statement signed by its spokesperson, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, the NCS advised importers of vehicles through the land borders to utilise the grace period up till December 31 to clear their vehicles landed in neighbouring countries’ ports.
The Federal Government had disclosed at a forum of the automotive industry on Friday that it would ban the importation of vehicles through land borders and enforce the presentation of road worthiness certificates on such vehicles from their countries of origin before allowing them into Nigeria.
