Customs Launches Intelligence-Led Operations to Halt Vegetable Oil Smuggling
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced intelligence-driven special operations to stop the smuggling of vegetable oil, a move officials say will protect local investments, preserve jobs, and bolster the agricultural value chain.
Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi disclosed the plans on Friday, 5 June 2026, while meeting stakeholders at the Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja. “Fighting smuggling is a continuous process that requires intelligence, policy support and collaboration,” Adeniyi said, adding that the agency values “constructive engagement with stakeholders” as it ramps up enforcement.
Adeniyi framed the crackdown as part of a broader strategy to shield legitimate businesses and encourage investment in the domestic vegetable oil industry. He called for stronger cooperation between government agencies and the private sector, saying sustained cooperation is essential for sectors that “contribute significantly to employment generation and economic development.” He urged stakeholders to provide credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illicit trade activity to support operations.
Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, highlighted recent enforcement gains as evidence that the strategy is working.
“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,” Bomodi said, noting many seizures occurred along major smuggling corridors such as Seme and Idiroko. He added that surveillance would be intensified in other vulnerable locations.
Industry representatives welcomed the announcement. Dr Fatai Afolabi, founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, praised Customs for creating a platform for dialogue and warned of the harms of unchecked smuggling. “Smuggling of vegetable oil will undermine local production, discourage investment and threaten thousands of jobs across the value chain,” Afolabi said, urging decisive enforcement to protect domestic producers.
The planned operations signal a coordinated push to reduce illicit imports that undercut locally produced oil, attract new inward investment, and stabilize supply chains for processors and farmers. Officials say the combined approach—targeted intelligence, stronger surveillance at key border corridors, and public-private cooperation—aims to preserve livelihoods and reinforce the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
