The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted 56 containers containing prohibited and improperly declared goods with a combined duty-paid value of N5.53 billion, warning that unchecked imports are threatening local production, jobs and investment in Nigeria.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State, stressing that the seizures formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based efforts to keep prohibited and restricted goods out of the Nigerian market.
Adeniyi said the intervention was designed to prevent imports capable of undermining the productivity of Nigerian businesses, particularly farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers.
He said unchecked importation of products that could be produced or processed locally exposed domestic businesses to unfair competition, weakened demand for Nigerian-made goods and discouraged investment across local value chains.
“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.
The intercepted consignments 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.
Adeniyi, however, said Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses but to create a fair, secure and predictable trading environment for compliant operators.
He explained that the Service’s risk-based approach allowed legitimate cargo to be facilitated while consignments considered high-risk were subjected to enhanced scrutiny.
The Customs chief commended the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and his officers for the interceptions, urging importers to ascertain the admissibility of their intended goods before commencing transactions.
He also advised traders to make accurate declarations on the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their consignments to avoid enforcement action.
The seizures came a day after Adeniyi visited the British American Tobacco, BAT, manufacturing facility in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he commended the company for its regulatory compliance, investment, job creation and support for local agriculture.
Adeniyi described the facility as an example of the type of investment needed to support economic diversification, while urging other investors to emulate BAT’s compliance and business practices.
He said Customs was also repositioning its operations to support the Federal Government’s drive towards a non-oil, export-led economy, citing the establishment of dedicated export-processing facilities in Lagos.
According to him, adherence to regulatory requirements by investors could produce mutual benefits through increased investment, government revenue, employment and broader economic growth.
