The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting local manufacturers and preserving jobs by intercepting prohibited imported goods worth over N273 million in Cross River State.
Speaking at a press briefing in Calabar on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, the Customs Area Controller for the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to curb smuggling and protect domestic industries.
He disclosed that Customs officers intercepted two 20-foot containers carrying 1,996 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway on 14 June 2026.
According to him, the products, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N195.5 million, were concealed in a truck that was stopped during a routine patrol operation.
Comptroller Dauda noted that Nigerian manufacturers have invested heavily in vegetable oil production. He warned that the influx of prohibited imported products could weaken local production, discourage investment, and threaten jobs across the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
He explained that vegetable oil is among the items covered by the federal government’s import prohibition policy, which is designed to promote local production, encourage self-sufficiency, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base.
The Area Command also seized 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. Combined with other interceptions, the total Duty Paid Value of all seized items amounted to N273.7 million.
In addition, officers intercepted 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), bringing the Command’s total PMS seizures in 2026 to 5,760 litres.
Dauda said the petrol was disposed of in line with approved safety procedures because of its highly combustible nature.
He warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation activities, stressing that such practices undermine local industries, distort market competition, and hinder the government’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda.
