NIGERIA: Customs, NMDPRA Strengthen Collaboration To Curb Fuel Diversion

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have intensified efforts to prevent the diversion of petroleum products meant for domestic consumption, as Nigeria transitions toward becoming an exporter of refined fuel.

The renewed partnership was reaffirmed during a high-level meeting on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at Customs House in Maitama, Abuja, between Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and NMDPRA’s Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha.

Speaking at the engagement, CGC Adeniyi emphasised the NCS’s unwavering commitment to interagency cooperation in protecting Nigeria’s energy security and stopping the illegal export of subsidised or domestically allocated fuel to neighbouring countries.

He highlighted the success of Operation Whirlwind, a joint enforcement initiative as evidence of effective collaboration, citing improved intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, and tangible reductions in smuggling activities.

“The Nigeria Customs Service remains fully aligned with ongoing reforms in the petroleum regulatory space and will continue to provide technical input, operational feedback, and border management expertise to support the implementation of new guidelines being developed by the NMDPRA,” Adeniyi said.

He praised the NMDPRA for harmonising processes under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), noting that clear export point procedures are crucial as local refining capacity grows.

“We welcome every initiative that strengthens energy security and ensures that the gains made in reducing cross-border diversion are not reversed. Our shared responsibility is to protect national interest, support legitimate trade, and maintain a transparent system that stakeholders can rely on,” the CGC added.

In response, Ukoha described the longstanding relationship between the two agencies as “productive,” with Operation Whirlwind representing its pinnacle achievement through joint personnel deployment, intelligence exchange, and monitoring of border corridors

He revealed that the visit aimed to brief the CGC on newly drafted guidelines for designating official export points for petroleum products amid expanding domestic refining output.

Ukoha disclosed that the NMDPRA is consulting key stakeholders—including the NCS, Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Nigerian Navy—to incorporate practical insights before finalising the guidelines.

He recalled joint field operations, including the launch of Operation Whirlwind in Yola, and noted that the removal of fuel subsidies has significantly diminished the economic motivation for smuggling.

“The NMDPRA will continue to work closely with the Customs Service to sustain progress and ensure that petroleum exports are properly regulated without exposing the country to energy security risks,” Ukoha stated.

The strengthened collaboration comes as Nigeria ramps up local refining through facilities like the Dangote Refinery, raising the need for robust mechanisms to distinguish domestic supply from legitimate exports.