 says it seized ₦1.314bn worth of smuggled vegetable oil products across 2025 and 2026, as part){kind=link}
Customs Seize ₦1.3bn Smuggled Vegetable Oil
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it seized ₦1.314bn worth of smuggled vegetable oil products across 2025 and 2026, as part of intensified efforts to curb illegal imports and protect local industries.
Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi disclosed the figures during a meeting with vegetable oil stakeholders in Abuja, noting that the service recorded 65 seizures in 2025 and 23 in 2026.
“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,” he said.
Adeniyi explained that tackling smuggling requires sustained cooperation between government agencies and businesses, especially in sectors that generate jobs and drive economic growth.
Deputy Comptroller-General Timi Bomodi highlighted that seizures were concentrated along major smuggling corridors such as Seme and Idiroko, with surveillance set to be intensified in other vulnerable locations.
Industry representatives, led by Dr Fatai Afolabi of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, commended Customs for creating a dialogue platform but warned that unchecked smuggling could undermine local production, discourage investment, and threaten thousands of jobs.
The NCS stressed that its strategy combines intelligence-driven operations, enforcement, and stakeholder collaboration to safeguard legitimate businesses and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
The crackdown underscores the government’s broader push to protect domestic industries from unfair competition, preserve employment, and ensure sustainable growth in the vegetable oil sector.