Customs seizes 56 containers of prohibited items worth N5.53bn

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has seized 56 containers of prohibited items worth N5.53 billion in Nigeria.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this disclosure on Tuesday at the Port Harcourt II Area Command in Onne, Rivers State.

CGC Adeniyi disclosed that, “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.”

According to him, unchecked importation of products that could be produced or processed locally places additional pressure on Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers by exposing them to unfair competition, weakening demand for local products and discouraging 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,” he said.