The federal government has grounded nearly 60 private aircrafts because of the unpaid import duties. This has led VIPs affected to ask the president to get an agreement.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) began this process after discovering that a number of private jet operators were not meeting their duties to import. As a result to this, the NCS temporarily de-sealed the grounded aircraft in order to facilitate discussions with the owners, allowing them to provide the necessary documents and to negotiate settlements.
The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, expressed concern that grounding these planes could hinder foreign investment in the aviation industry. He stressed that, while respecting import duty payments is vital, the method shouldn’t deter investors nor hinder the expansion of the airspace within Nigeria.
This has resulted in an increase in lobbying efforts from private jet owners and VIPs to get the intervention of the president to settle the issue. The federal government remains steadfast in enforcing the import duty regulations and aims to provide transparency and accountability in the aviation sector.
