By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to protect local industries and preserve jobs with the interception of prohibited imported goods valued at over ₦273 million in Cross River State.
Speaking at a press briefing in Calabar on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Customs Area Controller of the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, said the seizures were part of ongoing operations aimed at safeguarding Nigerian manufacturers from the negative impact of smuggling and illegal importation.
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Dauda disclosed that Customs operatives intercepted two 20-foot containers loaded with 1,996 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway on June 14, 2026. The products, concealed in a truck during a routine patrol operation, had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of approximately ₦195.5 million.
According to the Customs boss, the importation of foreign vegetable oil threatens local industries where Nigerian investors have committed significant resources. He noted that the influx of prohibited products into the domestic market could undermine local production, discourage investment, and endanger thousands of jobs across the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
He explained that refined vegetable oil is among the items listed under the Federal Government’s import prohibition policy, which is designed to boost local production, promote self-sufficiency, and strengthen the nation’s industrial base.
In addition to the vegetable oil seizure,
the Command also intercepted 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. The combined Duty Paid Value of all seized items was put at ₦273.7 million.
Dauda further revealed that officers confiscated 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), bringing the total volume of petrol seized by the Command in 2026 to 5,760 litres. He stated that the fuel was disposed of in line with approved safety procedures due to its highly flammable nature.
The Customs Area Controller warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation activities, stressing that such practices weaken local industries, distort fair market competition, and undermine government efforts to diversify the economy through industrialisation.
