U.S. Flags Corruption, Trade Barriers In Nigeria In 2025 Report

The United States has raised serious concerns about corruption, lack of transparency, and weak judicial processes in Nigeria, according to the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers issued by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office.

• The report highlights that corruption is a major obstacle to trade and investment in Nigeria. U.S. companies often face inappropriate demands for “facilitative” payments during operations.
• Anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria are said to be weakened by infighting among ministries and partisan politics.
• There are ongoing doubts about the capacity of Nigeria’s judiciary to secure convictions and hand down appropriate sentences in corruption cases.

Trade and Customs Issues:

• The U.S. noted Nigeria’s slow approval of import permits for American food and agricultural products since 2019.
• Nigeria maintains combined import duties and fees of 50% or more on 79 tariff lines, with 17 lines exceeding the 70% ECOWAS limit.
• The Nigeria Customs Service continues to ban imports of 25 product categories, including poultry, beef, spaghetti, fruit juice, old used vehicles, soaps, and certain alcohols.
• Nigeria’s customs system is criticized for corruption, reliance on manual processes, and inconsistent application of trade regulations, creating further barriers to trade.