The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up efforts to curb the smuggling of vegetable oil into the country, announcing plans to deploy 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 NCS Headquarters in Abuja on June 5, 2026.
Adeniyi said the Service remains committed to combating smuggling through strategic enforcement, intelligence gathering, and stronger collaboration with industry operators.
According to him, Customs and stakeholders in the vegetable oil sector share a common goal of safeguarding legitimate businesses, encouraging investment, and boosting economic growth.
He stressed that tackling smuggling requires sustained cooperation between government agencies and the private sector, particularly in sectors that play a vital role in employment creation and national development.
“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.
The Customs boss also urged stakeholders to support enforcement efforts by providing credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illicit trade activities.
Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Comptroller-General 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 65 seizures of vegetable oil products in 2025 and an additional 23 seizures in 2026, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N1.314 billion.
He noted that many of the interceptions were made along major smuggling corridors, including Seme and Idiroko border routes, adding that surveillance and enforcement activities would be intensified in other identified vulnerable locations.
Leading the industry delegation, Fatai Afolabi, founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, commended Customs for engaging stakeholders and creating a platform for dialogue.
Afolabi warned that the continued smuggling of vegetable oil poses a serious threat to local production, discourages investment, and endangers thousands of jobs across the sector’s value chain.
The renewed crackdown forms part of the NCS’ broader strategy to protect local industries, promote fair trade, and support government efforts to achieve greater self-sufficiency in agricultural production.
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