NIGERIA: Customs Seizes 1,996 Kegs of Smuggled Vegetable Oil to Protect Local Manufacturers

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 1,996 kegs of smuggled foreign refined vegetable oil in Cross River State as part of efforts to protect local manufacturers and preserve jobs within Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial sectors.

Speaking during a press briefing in Calabar on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller for Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, said the products were intercepted in two 20-foot containers along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway on June 14.

According to him, the foreign vegetable oil, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N195.5 million, was concealed in a truck intercepted during a routine patrol operation.

Dauda explained that vegetable oil remains one of the sectors in which Nigerian manufacturers have made substantial investments, warning that the influx of prohibited imported products could undermine local production and threaten jobs.

He said: “These products are listed under the Federal Government’s import prohibition policy, which seeks to stimulate local production, promote self-sufficiency, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base.”

The Customs boss noted that the Command also seized 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. He said the combined Duty Paid Value of all intercepted goods stood at N273.7 million.

Dauda further disclosed that officers intercepted 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), bringing the total volume of petrol seized by the Command in 2026 to 5,760 litres.

He said the petrol was disposed of in line with approved safety procedures because of its highly combustible nature.

The Area Controller warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation, stressing that such activities weaken local industries, distort fair competition, and undermine government efforts aimed at economic diversification and industrial growth.