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Customs Unveils Special Operations Against Vegetable Oil Smuggling to Protect Local Investments‎

By Anne Ejuka


The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to combat the smuggling of vegetable oil into the country, with plans to launch intelligence-driven special operations aimed at protecting local investments, preserving jobs and supporting the growth of the agricultural value chain.

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‎The Comptroller-General of Customs, (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi, according to a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, stated  this on Friday, 5 June 2026, during a meeting with stakeholders in the vegetable oil industry at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

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Adeniyi said the Service remains committed to tackling smuggling through strategic enforcement, intelligence gathering, and stakeholder collaboration. He noted that Customs and operators in the vegetable oil sector share a common objective of protecting legitimate businesses, encouraging investment, and strengthening the national economy.

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CGC Adeniyi explained that addressing smuggling requires sustained cooperation between government agencies and the private sector, particularly in sectors that contribute significantly to employment generation and economic development.

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‎He also called on stakeholders to support enforcement efforts by providing credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illicit trade activities.

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“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 stated.

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‎Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, highlighted the Service’s achievements in curbing the illegal importation of vegetable oil products.

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Bomodi disclosed that Customs recorded several seizures across key border corridors and assured stakeholders that surveillance would be intensified in vulnerable locations.

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‎“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.

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‎He noted that many of the seizures were made along major smuggling corridors, including Seme and Idiroko, adding that surveillance would also be strengthened in other identified vulnerable locations.

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‎Leading the vegetable oil industry delegation, the Founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Dr Fatai Afolabi, commended the Service for creating a platform for dialogue while drawing attention to the need to clamp down on vegetable oil smuggling into the country.

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‎“Smuggling of vegetable oil will undermining local production, discouraging investment and threatening thousands of jobs across the value chain,” Afolabi stated.

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