The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 88 consignments of smuggled vegetable oil worth N1.3 billion since the start of 2025 — and it's not done yet.
On Thursday, Customs Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi told stakeholders in Abuja that the agency is launching intelligence-driven special operations to crush smuggling of the product. The meeting happened at the Service Headquarters in Maitama.
Adeniyi said the goal is to protect local investments, keep jobs alive, and grow the agricultural value chain. He stressed that fighting smuggling needs steady cooperation between government and the private sector.
"Fighting smuggling is a continuous process that requires intelligence, policy support, and collaboration," Adeniyi said. "We value constructive engagement with stakeholders and will continue to strengthen our partnership with the private sector."
The numbers are stark. Deputy Comptroller-General Timi Bomodi, who handles Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, revealed that Customs made 65 seizures in 2025 and another 23 so far in 2026. The combined Duty Paid Value of those seizures is roughly N1.314 billion.
Most of the interceptions happened along major smuggling corridors — Seme and Idiroko border posts. Bomodi promised that surveillance will be beefed up at other vulnerable spots too.
The crackdown comes after years of complaints from local vegetable oil producers. They say cheap smuggled oil floods the market, undercuts their prices, and kills the incentive to invest in local refining.
Dr Fatai Afolabi, founder of the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, led the industry delegation to the meeting. He thanked Customs for creating a platform for dialogue but made it clear that more needs to be done.
"Smuggling of vegetable oil is undermining local production, discouraging investment and threatening thousands of jobs across the value chain," Afolabi said.
Adeniyi also called on industry players to help by providing credible intelligence on smuggling routes and illegal trade activities. He said Customs values constructive engagement with the private sector and will keep strengthening the partnership.
Vegetable oil is a big deal in Nigeria. The country consumes over 2 million tonnes annually, but local production falls short by hundreds of thousands of tonnes. That gap is what smugglers exploit — bringing in oil from neighbouring countries like Benin Republic and evading import duties.
The stakes are high. The vegetable oil value chain supports thousands of farmers, processors, and distributors. If smuggling continues unchecked, those livelihoods are at risk.
Customs says the new operations will be intelligence-led — meaning they'll target specific routes and networks rather than just random checks. The agency hopes this approach will make enforcement more effective.
For now, the message from Abuja is clear: if you're smuggling vegetable oil into Nigeria, Customs is watching.