Vegetable oil smuggling is coming under renewed pressure as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) rolls out stronger enforcement measures aimed at protecting local industries, preserving jobs, and supporting growth across the agricultural value chain. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to curb illicit trade and strengthen legitimate business activities within Nigeria’s economy.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the measures during a meeting with stakeholders in the vegetable oil industry at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja. He said the Customs Service would deploy intelligence-driven special operations designed to identify and disrupt smuggling networks operating across key border corridors.
According to Adeniyi, combating vegetable oil smuggling requires a combination of strategic enforcement, intelligence gathering, and stronger collaboration between government institutions and private sector operators. He noted that both Customs and industry stakeholders share a common objective of safeguarding investments and promoting sustainable economic growth.
The Customs chief emphasized that sectors contributing significantly to employment and industrial development must be protected from unfair competition created by illicit imports. He urged industry players to support enforcement efforts by providing credible information on smuggling activities and routes.
“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.
The renewed campaign comes amid concerns that vegetable oil smuggling continues to undermine local manufacturers and agricultural investors. Industry participants have repeatedly warned that illegal imports create market distortions, reduce competitiveness, and discourage expansion within the sector.
Providing further details, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, highlighted recent enforcement successes recorded by the Service. According to him, Customs operatives have intercepted substantial quantities of illegally imported vegetable oil products across several border locations.
Bomodi disclosed that the Service recorded 65 seizures of vegetable oil products in 2025 and an additional 23 seizures in 2026. He stated that the combined Duty Paid Value of the confiscated products stands at approximately N1.314 billion.
“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 said.
He explained that many of the seizures occurred along major smuggling corridors, particularly the Seme and Idiroko border routes. Surveillance and monitoring activities, he added, would be expanded to other identified hotspots across the country.
Industry stakeholders welcomed the renewed focus on tackling vegetable oil smuggling. Speaking on their behalf, Founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, commended Customs for creating a platform for dialogue and engagement with industry operators.
However, he stressed that sustained enforcement remains essential to protecting domestic production and encouraging investment.
“Smuggling of vegetable oil undermines local production, discourages investment and threatens thousands of jobs across the value chain,” Afolabi said.
For businesses operating within Nigeria’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors, the crackdown could provide greater protection against unfair competition. Industry observers note that reducing illicit imports may improve market stability, encourage investment, and support employment across the vegetable oil value chain.
The latest initiative reinforces Customs’ broader strategy of strengthening revenue generation, supporting local industries, and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests through targeted enforcement and stakeholder collaboration.
