The federal government has banned the importation of several goods, including poultry foods, cement, medicines, and some agricultural products, from countries outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This decision was outlined in a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance and signed by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.
The document, dated April 1, 2026, shows that the affected goods are part of a newly updated list of banned imports, which now includes 17 items.
“Import Prohibition list (Trade), applicable only to certain goods originating from non-ECOWAS Member States. It consists of 17 items,” the circular reads.
The updated list forms part of the government’s 2026 fiscal policy measures and revised tariff structure.
“In addition, a grace period of ninety (90) days, commencing from the effective date of implementation of this circular, i.e., 1st April 2026, shall be granted to all importers who had opened Form ‘M’ and must have entered into irrevocable Trade Agreement before the coming into effect of this circular, to process and clear their goods at the prevailing duty rates,” the circular reads.
“However, any new import transaction entered from the 1st of April 2026, shall be subjected to the new import duty regime.
“These Fiscal Policy Measures which supersede the 2023 Fiscal Policy Measures shall be published in the Official Federal Government Gazette.”
The banned items include:
- Live or dead birds, including frozen poultry
- Pork/beef, including tongues, livers, and shoulders of bovine animals
- Bird eggs, excluding hatching eggs of grand parent stock for breeding and research purposes
- Refined vegetable oil, excluding refined linseed, castor oil, olive oil, and hydrogenated vegetable fats, and crude vegetable oil
- Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form containing added flavouring or colouring matters
- Cocoa butter, powder and cakes, including fat and oil of cocoa and natural cocoa butter
- Tomatoes, whole or in pieces, tomato paste or concentrates
- Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added sugar or sweetening matter or flavoured, once snow, as well as other non-alcoholic beverages
- Bagged cement
- Medicament (medicine) under several headings
- Waste pharmaceuticals
- Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing the three fertilising elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK)
- Soaps and detergents
- Corrugated paper and paper boards, cartons, boxes and cases made from corrugated paper and paper boards
- Hollow glass bottles of a capacity exceeding 150 mis (0.15 litres), such as carboys, bottles and flasks
- Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600mm or more, clad, plated or coated – corrugated
- Ball point pen and parts, including refills (excluding tip) for Ball point pens, comprising the Ball point and ink-reservoir
In addition, the government introduced a 2 percent green tax on vehicles with engine capacities between 2009cc and above 4000cc.
Earlier in April, it was also reported that import tariffs were reduced on items such as cars, palm oil, and sugar under the new fiscal policy changes.
KanyiDaily recalls that President Bola Tinubu had declared his opposition to approving the importation of food or establishing a price control board.
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