56 containers of vegetable oil, used clothing and tomato paste intercepted at Onne Port

By Chioma Vivian James

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its campaign against prohibited, restricted and improperly declared imports, warning that unchecked foreign goods could undermine Nigerian farmers, manufacturers, businesses and the jobs they support.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State, where he announced the interception of 56 containers with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N5.53 billion.

According to Adeniyi, the seizures resulted from intelligence-driven and risk-based operations by officers of the Service aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and falsely or improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.

He said the intervention formed part of the NCS’s broader responsibility to safeguard Nigeria’s trading environment while supporting government efforts to strengthen domestic production, protect investment and promote economic diversification.

The Comptroller-General stressed that the unchecked importation of products that could be produced or processed locally could have serious consequences for domestic businesses.

He explained that such imports could expose Nigerian producers to unfair competition, reduce demand for locally made goods and discourage investment across critical agricultural and manufacturing value chains.

Adeniyi particularly drew attention to the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, noting that large-scale importation of goods Nigeria had the capacity to produce or process could weaken efforts to improve food security, create employment and expand local industrial capacity.

He, however, clarified that Customs enforcement was not designed to frustrate legitimate businesses but to create a fair and predictable trading environment in which compliant businesses could operate without being disadvantaged by prohibited or improperly declared imports.

“The intervention formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller-General commended the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the command for their vigilance and successful interception of the consignments.

Giving details of the seizures, Adeniyi said the intercepted goods comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste.

He said the enforcement action was consistent with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at encouraging the production and consumption of made-in-Nigeria goods.

Adeniyi also urged importers and other participants in international trade to verify the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions.

He advised importers to ensure that declarations submitted to the Customs Service were accurate and complete, particularly with respect to the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of goods.

The Customs boss warned that false or inaccurate declarations could expose importers and their consignments to enforcement action while also undermining the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s trade system.

The NCS said its risk-based enforcement framework was designed to facilitate legitimate cargo while subjecting high-risk consignments to enhanced scrutiny.

The Service maintained that preventing prohibited and improperly declared goods from entering the country was necessary to protect the investments of Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and businesses and ensure that domestic producers were not undermined by unlawful or non-compliant imports.

The latest seizures underscore the dual responsibility of the Customs Service: facilitating legitimate international trade while enforcing Nigeria’s import regulations and protecting the country’s economic interests.

The NCS consequently urged importers to familiarise themselves with Nigeria’s import guidelines and ensure full compliance before shipping goods into the country, stressing that accurate declarations and adherence to applicable regulations remained critical to a secure, transparent and predictable trading environment.