…as Onne Command intercepts 56 containers worth N5.53bn
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned that unchecked importation of goods that can be produced locally could undermine Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and businesses, as the Service intercepted 56 containers of prohibited goods with a total duty paid value of N5.53 billion.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, gave the warning on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the Port Harcourt II Area Command in Onne, Rivers State.
Adeniyi said the seizures were part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at stopping prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.
He said unchecked imports of products that could be produced or processed locally expose domestic producers to unfair competition, weaken demand for Nigerian-made goods and discourage 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 CGC said the intervention was intended to protect the productivity of local businesses and support the broader economic objectives of promoting domestic production.
“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.
He stressed that Customs enforcement was not designed to frustrate legitimate businesses but to ensure that compliant traders operated within a fair, secure and predictable trading environment.
According to him, the Service’s risk-based approach allows legitimate cargo to be facilitated while consignments considered high-risk receive enhanced scrutiny.
The 56 containers intercepted by the Port Harcourt II Area Command 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 commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the command for the interceptions.
He also advised importers and other stakeholders to establish the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions and ensure accurate declarations covering the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of goods.
The Comptroller-General said the interception aligned with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at promoting made-in-Nigeria products and strengthening domestic production.