The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to launch intelligence-driven special operations aimed at curbing the smuggling of vegetable oil into the country, as part of efforts to safeguard local investments, protect jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a strategic meeting with stakeholders in the vegetable oil industry held at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to combating smuggling through enhanced intelligence gathering, strategic enforcement measures, and stronger collaboration with industry stakeholders.
According to him, both Customs and operators in the vegetable oil sector share a common goal of promoting legitimate trade, encouraging investment, and supporting national economic growth.
He stressed that the fight against smuggling requires sustained cooperation between government agencies and the private sector, particularly in industries that play critical roles in employment generation and economic development.
The Customs boss also urged stakeholders to actively support enforcement efforts by providing credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illicit 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 recent successes in tackling the illegal importation of vegetable oil products.
Bomodi revealed 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 approximately N1.314 billion.
He noted that many of the seizures were intercepted along major smuggling corridors, including Seme and Idiroko border routes, adding that surveillance operations would be intensified across other identified vulnerable locations.
“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 N1.314 billion,” he stated.
Leading the industry delegation, Founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, commended the Customs Service for fostering dialogue with stakeholders while emphasizing the urgent need to curb vegetable oil smuggling.
Afolabi warned that the illicit trade poses a serious threat to local production, discourages investment, and endangers thousands of jobs across the vegetable oil value chain.
“Smuggling of vegetable oil undermines local production, discourages investment, and threatens thousands of jobs across the value chain,” he said.
The meeting underscored the growing partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and industry operators in addressing economic sabotage and promoting a more competitive environment for local manufacturers.
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