The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to intensify its crackdown on prohibited imports, false declarations and other trade practices capable of undermining Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and domestic businesses.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this while announcing the seizure of 56 containers of prohibited goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N5.53 billion at the Port Harcourt II Area Command in Onne, Rivers State.
Adeniyi said the seizures were the outcome of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.
According to him, the continued influx of goods that could be produced or processed locally could weaken domestic production by exposing Nigerian businesses to unfair competition, reducing demand for locally manufactured products and discouraging investment across domestic value chains.
“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 Customs chief said the economic impact of unchecked imports was particularly significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, where local producers already contend with high production and operating costs.
He explained that large-scale importation of products Nigeria has the capacity to produce or process could undermine government efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create employment and diversify the economy.
“The economic impact is especially significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Large-scale importation of products that Nigeria can produce or process may undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs, and diversify the economy,” he said.
Adeniyi stressed that the NCS enforcement campaign was not aimed at frustrating legitimate businesses, but at creating what he described as a fair, secure and predictable trading environment for compliant operators.
He said the Service’s risk-based approach enables legitimate cargo to move while consignments considered high-risk are subjected to enhanced scrutiny.
What Customs Seized
The seized consignments comprised:
- 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil
- 9 40-foot containers of used clothing
- 2 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste
The Customs boss said the interceptions were consistent with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at promoting domestic production and encouraging Nigerians to consume locally made products.
Adeniyi commended the Customs Area Controller of the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the command for what he described as successful interceptions.
He urged importers and other stakeholders to establish the admissibility of goods before entering into import transactions and to ensure that all customs declarations accurately reflect the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their consignments.
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The Comptroller-General warned that importers who deliberately circumvent existing regulations risk having their consignments intercepted and subjected to enforcement action.
He reiterated that the NCS would continue to deploy intelligence, risk assessment and targeted examination to prevent prohibited and improperly declared goods from entering Nigeria while facilitating legitimate trade.
The latest seizures, he added, underscored the Service’s role beyond revenue collection, including supporting government economic policies, protecting domestic production and safeguarding legitimate businesses from unfair competition.
