Nigerian Customs Target Unpaid Duties On Foreign-Registered Bizjets

The Nigeria Customs Service temporarily grounded about 60 foreign-registered business jets at Lagos and Abuja airports in early June 2025 due to unpaid import duties. The aircraft were released on June 4 after owners reportedly agreed to settle the outstanding taxes within one month.

The jets, operated privately under Permits for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCFs), remain unnamed, as customs officials have not disclosed ownership details or provided further comment. The crackdown is part of ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to enforce local registration requirements and collect import taxes on aircraft based in the country.

Since late 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service has pressured aircraft owners to re-register their jets in Nigeria, arguing that foreign registrations allow operators to evade import duties. Although initial warnings were issued in October 2024, enforcement actions were delayed until June 2025.

According to ch-aviation Business Jet Aircraft Data, 73 business jets are currently based in Lagos and Abuja. Of these, only 25 are Nigerian-registered, while the rest are registered abroad, primarily in the United States (25), San Marino (nine), Cayman Islands and Isle of Man (five each), and one each in Austria, Canada, Mauritius, and Portugal. The fleet includes a range of aircraft from very light jets to ultra-long-range models, with the Bombardier Challenger 600 series being the most common, accounting for 16 aircraft.

The enforcement highlights growing efforts by Nigerian authorities to tighten compliance in the country’s business aviation sector.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/airline-finance/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com