By Onu Okorie

Nigeria Customs Service NCS has seized 56 containers of prohibited and improperly declared goods with a combined value of N5.53 billion at the Area 11 Customs Command, Onne Seaport, Rivers State.
The seizure, was part of the Service’s intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and falsely declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.
Speaking on the development, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the intervention was intended to protect Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and businesses from unfair competition arising from prohibited imports, false declarations and other practices capable of undermining domestic production and job creation.
Adeniyi said the operation was also designed to safeguard the productivity of local businesses and support the Federal Government’s efforts to promote domestic industries.
“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,” he said.
According to the Customs chief, unchecked importation of products that could be produced or processed locally puts additional pressure on Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers.
He explained that large-scale importation could expose local businesses to unfair competition, weaken demand for locally produced goods and discourage investment across domestic 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,” Adeniyi stated.
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 seizures were consistent with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at encouraging the production and consumption of made-in-Nigeria goods.
He urged importers and traders to engage in legitimate business activities, noting that the Service’s risk-based approach was designed to facilitate legitimate trade while subjecting high-risk consignments to enhanced scrutiny.
“The Service’s risk-based approach enabled it to facilitate legitimate cargo while directing enhanced scrutiny towards consignments considered high-risk,” he said.
The Comptroller-General also advised importers to make accurate declarations covering the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their goods.
He commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for their role in the interceptions.
Customs Rebuilds Primary Healthcare Centre in Ebubu
In a related development, the Nigeria Customs Service has commissioned a rebuilt Primary Healthcare Centre at Ebubu in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
The facility, which had previously been abandoned and left in a dilapidated condition, was rebuilt and equipped with modern healthcare equipment, medicines, an ambulance and lighting facilities.
Commissioning the facility, Adeniyi said the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service went beyond revenue collection, anti-smuggling operations, security and trade facilitation.
He said the Service’s “Customs Cares” CSR initiative covers areas including education, scholarships, construction of schools, healthcare, empowerment, skills acquisition programmes and the provision of palliatives.
According to him, the initiatives are designed to give back to the communities where the Service operates and create a positive impact on citizens, particularly vulnerable members of society.