The Nigerian Federal Government, through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has grounded a United States-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet owned by a leading Nigerian bank due to unpaid import duties amounting to an estimated N1.9 billion.
This action marks the start of a government crackdown on private jet owners who have not paid the required import duties, which collectively run into several billions of naira.
This development follows the NCS’s initiation of a one-month verification exercise for private jet owners in Nigeria, which commenced on June 19, 2024, and will conclude on July 19, 2024.
The exercise aims to identify and address cases of aircraft illegally imported into the country without the payment of import duties.
During a similar exercise in 2019, the NCS recovered approximately N2 billion for the government.
This year, at least 80 private jet owners are required to present their import documents and aircraft certificates of registration to Customs officials in Abuja.
Although the grounding of non-compliant private jets is scheduled to start after the verification period, some operators’ attempts to export their aircraft to evade the exercise have prompted the NCS to begin immediate clampdowns.
Reports indicate that several operators of foreign-registered private jets have been temporarily flying their aircraft out of Nigeria to avoid scrutiny.
In light of these developments, the NCS has taken preemptive measures by writing to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, requesting the cancellation of flight clearance approvals for the non-compliant private aircraft, including the luxury Gulfstream G650ER grounded at Lagos airport.
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