Federal Government has approved sweeping 2026 fiscal measures slashing import duties on vehicles, rice, palm oil, sugar, and other essentials while introducing new taxes and protections to bolster local industries and economic growth.

Wale Edun

Finance Minister and Economy Coordinating Minister Wale Edun signed the circular, effective April 1, 2026, replacing 2023 guidelines and aligning with ECOWAS Common External Tariff to stimulate key sectors.

Key tariff cuts cover 127 items: fully built passenger vehicles, including four-wheel drives and station wagons, drop to 40 per cent from 70 per cent; bulk rice to 47.5 per cent from 70 per cent; broken rice to 30 per cent; crude palm oil to 28.75 per cent; raw sugar to 55-57.5 per cent; envelopes to 40 per cent; notebooks to 30 per cent; unglazed ceramic tiles to 35 per cent; glazed tiles to 46.25 per cent; zinc-coated steel sheets, coils, and rods to 35 per cent; low-carbon cold-rolled steel to 15 per cent; automatic circuit breakers to 10 per cent; and modular surgical theatres to 5 per cent.

Zero duties apply to agricultural and manufacturing machinery, railway locomotives, cargo ships over 500 tonnes, and breathing equipment like gas masks.

New Supplementary Protection Measures include Import Adjustment Tax on 192 tariff lines and prohibitions on 17 items from non-ECOWAS countries, such as certain agricultural products and hazardous materials. Taxes phase out gradually from January 2027 to zero per cent by 2036, except AfCFTA items.

From July 1, 2026, excise duties hit non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, tobacco, and a green tax surcharge, exempting vehicles under 2000cc, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and local auto parts.

A 90-day grace period allows pre-April 1 importers with Form ‘M’ and trade agreements to use old rates.

Waste polyethylene terephthalate joins the export prohibition list. Full details will appear in the Official Gazette, with Edun urging compliance.

The policy blends tariff relief with safeguards to drive industrialisation and meet trade commitments.

Meta Platforms, Inc., global technology company,  has filed an appeal against the judgment of the Lagos State High Court delivered in favour of  Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, setting the stage for a potentially significant legal battle over digital rights, platform liability, and the enforcement of fundamental rights in Nigeria.

Femi Falana

The appeal, dated April 10, 2026, follows the ruling in Suit No. LD/18843MFHR/2025: Falana v. Meta Platforms, Inc., in which Justice O. A. Oresanya ruled in favour of Falana and awarded damages of $25,000 over a video publication alleged to have violated his rights.

Meta’s legal team, led by Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo, SAN, filed a Notice of Appeal containing eight grounds challenging both the procedural and substantive basis of the High Court’s decision.

At the centre of the appeal is a jurisdictional dispute over whether the case should have been treated as a fundamental rights enforcement matter.

Meta argued that the trial court erred by entertaining the suit under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, maintaining that the claims were essentially based on alleged false publication and reputational damage.

According to the company, such claims properly fall within the scope of defamation law, rather than constitutional rights enforcement.

Meta contended that by allowing the case to proceed as a fundamental rights action, the trial court assumed jurisdiction it did not possess.

The company also challenged the court’s finding of liability based on the doctrine of undisclosed principal.

Meta argued that there was no evidence establishing a principal-agent relationship between the company and the publisher of the disputed video, identified as AfriCare Health Centre.

The technology firm maintained that the video was created and uploaded by an independent third party and not by Meta itself.

It further emphasised that as a digital intermediary platform, it neither originated nor exercised editorial control over the material.

In addition, the appeal questioned the trial court’s conclusion that Meta violated Section 24(1)(a) and (e) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

Meta insisted that it was wrongly classified as a data controller in the case.

According to the company, there was no evidence showing that it determined the purpose or the means of processing the personal data involved in the disputed publication.

Meta also faulted the High Court’s decision to award $25,000 in damages to Falana.

The company described the award as unwarranted and urged the appellate court to set aside both the damages and the entire judgment delivered by the lower court.

Raising concerns about the conduct of the proceedings, Meta alleged that it was denied a fair hearing during the trial.

The company claimed that the trial court raised and decided certain issues suo motu without inviting submissions from the parties involved.

Meta further alleged that the court failed to properly consider key arguments presented in its defence before reaching its decision.

Delta State Police Command has revealed how a 17-year-old boy allegedly hacked into celebrities’ WhatsApp accounts and sold explicit adult content to classmates.

This was disclosed in a viral video shared by comedian Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save, during a security awareness programme where he spoke with Temi Agbede-Zuokumor, divisional police officer (DPO) of Ugborikoko Division, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The DPO explained that the case came to light after a routine check of a student’s phone, which first raised suspicion.

Agbede-Zuokumor disclosed that the student’s mother had initially claimed the phone belonged to his sister, but further inspection revealed otherwise.

“The woman looked very modest, so I asked her if she was from Deeper Life. She said no. I then asked why her son took a phone to school, and she claimed it belonged to his sister,” she narrated.

The DPO expressed that the development triggered her suspicion, prompting officers to examine the phone’s contents.

“Something told me to check the phone. When we did, we discovered that everything on the device belonged to the boy,” she said.

She added that the phone contained over 80 foreign numbers, including Australian contacts, alongside numerous explicit materials.

“We saw several foreign numbers, over 80 Australian lines, and the phone was filled with pornographic content,” she said.

The police officer further disclosed that the suspect allegedly sold explicit materials to his classmates, who referred to him as “boss.”

“We also saw chats with his classmates asking if he had explicit content to sell. They were calling him ‘boss’ in school,” she added.

According to her, investigations also revealed that the teenager had hacked into WhatsApp accounts belonging to prominent individuals and used them to solicit money.

“We discovered he had access to WhatsApp accounts of some celebrities, which he used to demand money from unsuspecting victims,” she said.

Speaking during the session, comedian I Go Save recounted a similar experience, describing how he was once contacted by a suspected fraudster impersonating Elon Musk, Forbes world richest man.

“That was how someone impersonating Elon Musk messaged me, saying he was stranded and needed a recharge card,” he said.

“I was surprised and asked which network he used. The person later sent an Opay account,” he added.

The police warned parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, stressing the growing concern of cyber-related crimes among young people.