The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to intensify its crackdown on the smuggling of vegetable oil into the country through intelligence-driven special operations aimed at protecting local industries, preserving jobs, and strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders in the vegetable oil industry held at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi said the Service remains committed to combating smuggling through strategic enforcement measures, enhanced intelligence gathering, and stronger collaboration with industry operators.
According to him, Customs and stakeholders in the vegetable oil sector share a common objective of safeguarding legitimate businesses, encouraging investment, and promoting economic growth.
The Customs boss noted that addressing smuggling requires sustained cooperation between government agencies and the private sector, especially in sectors that contribute significantly to employment creation and national development.
He also urged industry players to support enforcement efforts by providing credible information on smuggling routes and illegal trade activities.
“Fighting smuggling is a continuous process that requires intelligence, policy support and collaboration. We value constructive engagement with stakeholders and will continue to strengthen our partnership with the private sector,” Adeniyi said.
Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, highlighted the Service’s successes in curbing the illegal importation of vegetable oil products.
Bomodi disclosed that Customs recorded numerous seizures across key border corridors, reflecting ongoing efforts to protect local manufacturers from unfair competition.
“We recorded about 65 seizures of vegetable oil products in 2025 and another 23 seizures in 2026, with a combined Duty Paid Value of approximately ₦1.314 billion,” he said.
He explained that many of the seizures were made along major smuggling routes, including the Seme and Idiroko border corridors, adding that surveillance activities would be expanded to other identified vulnerable locations across the country.
Bomodi assured stakeholders that Customs would continue to deploy intelligence-led enforcement strategies to disrupt smuggling networks and strengthen border security.
Leading the industry delegation, Founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for engaging stakeholders and creating a platform for dialogue on industry challenges.
He, however, stressed the need for stronger action against the illegal importation of vegetable oil products, warning that smuggling poses a significant threat to local production and investment.
“Smuggling of vegetable oil is undermining local production, discouraging investment and threatening thousands of jobs across the value chain,” Afolabi said.
Industry stakeholders at the meeting expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between Customs and operators would help curb illicit trade, improve market competitiveness, and boost domestic production in the vegetable oil sector.
The renewed enforcement drive comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to promote local manufacturing, enhance food security, and reduce the economic impact of smuggling on critical sectors of the economy.
