Customs seizes N5.53bn prohibited imports, warns against threat to local production

By Maureen Aguta

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 56 containers containing prohibited and improperly declared goods with a total duty paid value of N5.53 billion, warning importers against undermining Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers through illicit imports.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State.

Adeniyi said the seizure was part of intelligence-driven and risk-based enforcement operations designed to prevent prohibited, restricted and falsely declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.

He said unchecked importation of goods that could be produced or processed locally was capable of weakening domestic industries by exposing Nigerian businesses to unfair competition, reducing demand for locally produced goods and discouraging investment.

According to him, the impact was particularly significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, where large-scale imports could undermine efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen food security, create jobs, promote local industries and diversify the economy.

“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 CGC maintained that Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses, but to create a fair, secure and predictable trading environment for compliant importers and other stakeholders.

He explained that the Service’s risk-based approach enabled it to facilitate legitimate cargo while subjecting consignments considered high-risk to enhanced scrutiny.

Adeniyi commended the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the command for the interceptions, describing the operation as part of the Service’s contribution to protecting domestic production.

He urged importers and other stakeholders to establish the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions, stressing the need for accurate declarations.

The CGC specifically advised importers to ensure that the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their goods were correctly declared to Customs.

The seized 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 said the interception and seizure of the consignments were consistent with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at promoting made-in-Nigeria products and strengthening domestic value chains.

He warned that continued attempts to circumvent import restrictions would not only expose offenders to enforcement action but could also undermine the competitiveness and sustainability of legitimate Nigerian businesses.

The Customs boss therefore called on importers to familiarise themselves with the country’s import prohibition and restriction regime, noting that compliance remained critical to sustaining legitimate trade while protecting the wider economy.