Government bans importation of cement, poultry foods and pharmaceutical products from countries outside ECOWAS

Monday, April 20, 2026 - The Nigerian federal government has expanded its import restrictions, banning a wide range of goods from countries outside the Economic Community of West African States as part of its 2026 fiscal policy measures.

The directive, contained in a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance and signed by Finance Minister Wale Edun on April 1, 2026, outlines a revised import prohibition list covering 17 categories of products.

Beyond poultry and agricultural goods, the ban includes live or frozen birds, pork and beef products, bird eggs (except for breeding and research purposes), refined vegetable oils (with limited exceptions), sugar, cocoa products, processed tomatoes, sweetened and flavoured beverages, bagged cement, a broad range of medicines and waste pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, soaps and detergents, paper and packaging materials, large-capacity glass bottles, certain steel products, and ballpoint pens and their components.

The government stated that the restrictions apply specifically to imports originating from non-ECOWAS member states, reinforcing a policy direction aimed at boosting regional trade and protecting domestic industries.

A 90-day grace period has been granted to importers who had already opened Form ‘M’ and entered into irrevocable trade agreements before the policy took effect. These importers will be allowed to clear their goods under the previous duty structure. However, any new import transactions initiated from April 1, 2026, will be subject to the updated import duty regime.

The circular also confirms that the new fiscal policy measures supersede the 2023 framework and will be formally published in the Federal Government Gazette.

In addition to the import restrictions, the government introduced a two percent green tax surcharge on motor vehicles within specified engine capacity ranges, signalling a shift toward environmental taxation alongside trade protection.

The policy comes amid broader adjustments to Nigeria’s trade and tariff system, with recent reports also indicating reductions in tariffs on items such as cars, palm oil and sugar under the same fiscal reform programme.