Prohibited goods are those goods for which importation and exportation have been completely banned for reasons linked to health, environment, protection of endangered species of flora and fauna, security, legislation etc. These items shall be liable to forfeiture by customs and the person may be liable to a penalty. Contact us if in doubt of items that cannot be imported or exported.

This list is subject to change at any time and it is your duty to view and get updated on any changes:

Prohibited items to Import into Nigeria Prohibited items to export from Nigeria

1.      Live or dead birds including frozen poultry.

2.     Pork, beef, bird’s eggs, excluding hatching eggs.

3.     Refined vegetable oils and fats (includes mayonnaise).   Crude vegetable oil is NOT banned from importation.

4.     Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form in retail packs.

5.     Cocoa butter, powder and cakes.

6.     Spaghetti/noodles.

7.     Fruit Juice in retail packs.

8.     Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters containing added sugar or sweetening matter or flavored, ice snow, other non-alcoholic beverages and beer and stout (bottled, canned or otherwise packed, but excluding energy or health drinks (liquid dietary supplements).

9.     Bagged cement.

10.   Medicaments (Paracetamol tablets and syrups; Cotrimoxazole tablets and syrups; Metronidazole tablets and syrups; Chloroquine tablets and syrups etc)

11.   Soaps and Detergents in retail packs only.

12.   Mosquito Repellant Coils.

13.   Sanitary Wares of Plastics and Domestic Articles and Wares of Plastics (but excluding Baby Feeding bottles) and flushing cistern and waterless toilets.

14.   Rethreaded and used Pneumatic tires but excluding used trucks tires for rethreading of sized 11.00 x 20 and above.

15.   Carpets and other textile floor coverings.

16.   Used compressors and used fridges/freezers.

17.   Used Motor Vehicles above fifteen (15) years from the year of manufacture.

18.   Ball Point Pens and parts including refills (excluding tip).

19.   Airmail Photographic Printing Paper.

20.   All counterfeit/pirated materials or articles including Base or Counterfeit Coin of any Country.

21.   Meat, Vegetables or other provisions declared by a health officer to be unfit for human consumption.

22.   Nuclear Industrial waste and other Toxic waste

23.   Weapons and ammunition of any description which in the opinion of the Comptroller-General are designed for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other similar substance.

24.   Rice

25.    Cement

26.    Margarine

27.    Palm kernel/Palm oil products/vegetables oils

28.   Meat and processed meat products

29.   Vegetables and processed vegetable products

30.   Poultry chicken, eggs, turkey

31.   Private airplanes/jets

32.   Indian incense

33.   Tinned fish in sauce (Geisha)/sardines

34.   Cold rolled steel sheets

35.   Galvanized steel sheets

36.   Roofing sheets

37.   Wheelbarrows

38.   Head pans

39.   Metal boxes and containers

40.   Enamelware

41.   Steel drums

42.   Steel pipes

43.   Wire rods (deformed and not deformed)

44.   Iron rods and reinforcing bard

45.   Wire mesh

46.   Steel nails

47.   Security and razor wire

48.   Wood particle boards and panels

49.   Wood Fibre Boards and Panels

50.   Plywood boards and panels

51.   Wooden doors

52.   Toothpicks

53.   Glass and Glassware

54.   Kitchen utensils

55.   Tableware

56.   Tiles-vitrified and ceramic

57.   Textiles

58.   Woven fabrics

59.   Clothes

60.   Plastic and rubber products, polypropylene granules, cellophane wrappers

61.   Soap and cosmetics

62.   Tomatoes/tomato pastes

63.   Eurobond/foreign currency bond/share purchases

Prohibited items to export from Nigeria

1.      Maize

2.     Timber (rough or sawn)

3.    Raw hides and skin (including Wet Blue and all unfinished leather) H.S. Codes 4101.2000.00 – 4108.9200.00

6.    Scrap Metals

7.    Unprocessed rubber latex and rubber lumps

Artifacts and Antiquities

Wildlife animals classified as endangered species and their products e.g. Crocodile; Elephant, Lizard, Eagle,

Monkey, Zebra, Lion etc.

All goods imported

Please note that the list is non-exclusive and may be updated from time to time by customs, you are therefore advised to visit here.  ( https://customs.gov.ng/?page_id=3075 )