The Nigeria Customs Service has announced intensified measures to tackle the smuggling of vegetable oil into Nigeria, unveiling plans for intelligence-driven special operations aimed at protecting local industries, safeguarding jobs, and strengthening the agricultural value chain.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday, June 5, 2026, during a stakeholder engagement with players in the vegetable oil sector at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.
Adeniyi said the Service remains committed to combating smuggling through enhanced intelligence gathering, strategic enforcement, and stronger collaboration with private sector operators. He stressed that both Customs and industry stakeholders share a common goal of protecting legitimate investments and promoting economic growth.
He further called for sustained cooperation from stakeholders, especially in providing credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illicit trade networks, noting that enforcement efforts are most effective when supported by industry participation.
“Fighting smuggling is a continuous process that requires intelligence, policy support and collaboration,” he said, adding that the Service will continue to strengthen engagement with the private sector.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, highlighted recent successes recorded by the Service in intercepting illegal vegetable oil imports.
Bomodi revealed that Customs recorded about 65 seizures in 2025 and 23 seizures in 2026 so far, with a combined Duty Paid Value estimated at N1.314 billion. He added that most interceptions occurred along key smuggling corridors such as Seme and Idiroko, while surveillance operations are being expanded to other vulnerable border points.
Representing industry stakeholders, the Founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, commended Customs for its engagement with the private sector while urging stricter enforcement against smuggling activities.
Afolabi warned that the continued influx of smuggled vegetable oil could undermine local production, discourage investment, and threaten thousands of jobs across the agricultural value chain.
The Nigeria Customs Service said it will continue its collaboration with stakeholders as part of broader efforts to protect domestic industries and strengthen Nigeria’s economy.
