NewStats: 3,265,055 , 8,185,455 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 09:40 AM 1w272o

The Nigeria Customs Service has shed light on the continued smuggling of petrol across the country’s borders, despite the elimination of fuel subsidies.

According to the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the practice remains attractive to smugglers due to the stark difference in fuel prices between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.

Speaking during the service’s first quarter performance briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday, Adeniyi noted that “Despite the removal of the fuel subsidy, it is still profitable for smugglers to take fuel illegally from Nigeria. You know that the prices are dynamic.”

He further explained that although Nigeria has ended its subsidy regime, the relatively lower pump price still incentivises illegal exportation of Motor Spirit to countries like Cameroon, Niger, and the Benin Republic “Has remained profitable due to the price arbitrage”, he added.

Adeniyi highlighted that while the price of PMS within Nigeria ranges between N880 and N950 per litre, neighbouring countries are selling the same product for far higher amounts. “Is lower compared to around N1600 and N2000 per litre in Cameroon, Niger, and the Benin Republic,” he stated.

The Customs boss went on to stress that this significant price gap continues to fuel smuggling activities, even with some of these countries witnessing slight reductions in local fuel costs.

“While the price of the products is coming down to around N850 and N900 per liter in places like Cameroon, it is close to N2,000 per liter, in Niger, it is N1,600 per liter, and the same with the Benin Republic.”

In response to this ongoing challenge, Adeniyi said the NCS has initiated a special anti-smuggling operation. “This arbitrage provides the incentive. That is why we launched the operating Whirlwind,” he said.

https://punchng.com/why-fuel-smuggling-thrives-despite-subsidy-removal-customs/

Whaat ??
Na so profits dey plenty for dis business

Life is better here to other West African countries

Fuel subsidy is still being paid by the government. The smugglers are part of the government - the subsidy cabal.

Donald7610:
Life is better here to other West African countries

Not exactly. Most sub Saharan African countries are like Nigeria in varying ways except south Africa, Namibia and Botswana

Racoon:
Fuel subsidy is still being paid by the government. The smugglers are part of the government - the subsidy cabal.

Nope..if it was, fuel would be dirt cheap, around 300 or less.

And people would still not be rushing to get licences for refineries.

Subsidy era is over. Other African countries have expensive fuel because they don't produce crude at the level we do

Niger , for good measure, quarrelled with the Chinese partners of it's refinery and it is closed. Other countries rely even more on imports.



No matter how sad it makes people feel on this site, petrol must be sold at a profit. You need not get angry and bullying and bitter about it

So if Nigeria is not paying subsidies again so why stop people from transporting petrol to other African countries?

This explanation makes no sense

Something is cheaper in your country but you are stopping your people from selling it to other countries?

Racoon:
Fuel subsidy is still being paid by the government. The smugglers are part of the government - the subsidy cabal.

Nigeria stands out with the lowest petrol price in West Africa, primarily due to the absence of per-liter consumption taxes .

Toh

It's profitable but Nigeria is no longer losing

Ogun go soon kee Adewale Adeniyi,

---

MEEVEET:
So if Nigeria is not paying subsidies again so why stop people from transporting petrol to other African countries?

This explanation makes no sense

Something is cheaper in your country but you are stopping your people from selling it to other countries?

You are right, if Nigerian government is not paying subsidy on fuel, then let anybody buy fuel in Nigeria and go and sell in Togo, Benin Republic, Cameroon or even Russia

Because naira lost a lot of value, still very cheap for our neighbours to buy Nigerian petroleum products ,destined for their countries.
It's still profitable.

Those stating thay the solution to smuggling was removing subsidy surely did not do basic economics in school.

So long as demand for petroleum products are inelastic to price changes and their currency is more powerful.than Naira, it will be more lucrative to smuggle petrol out through tbe borders. Even if the prices become N10,000 per litre in Nigeria, it will still be more profitable to smuggle it out.

Seun, Las Las, many us will simply stop making comments on this forum.

While I understand the need to sanitize your site, you can't tell me it's too much of a big deal to properly train an A.I or bot to selectively weed out negativity or deeply offensive posts and visitors.


Well, maybe you are tired of running and owning the forum.

It's nothing personal to me anyway, but over 6 bans in less than 2 days is unacceptable and speaks of deliberate hushing.


I say this because of what I heard is being done secretly by powers that be to quiet social media voices in Nigeria as 2027 approaches.

Might be a rumor, might not be...!

iwaeda:


https://punchng.com/why-fuel-smuggling-thrives-despite-subsidy-removal-customs/

Custom most fraudulent institution in Nigeria, even police learning stealing from them

nairalandadeux:


Nope..if it was, fuel would be dirt cheap, around 300 or less.

And people would still not be rushing to get licences for refineries.

Subsidy era is over. Other African countries have expensive fuel because they don't produce crude at the level we do

Thanks you jare
Many just shout what they heard from beer parlours without even knowing what they are talking about

Nawa ooo

Let them continue to smuggle it out so far there's no more subsidy.

Angelfrost:
Seun, Las Las, many us will simply stop making comments on this forum.

While I understand the need to sanitize your site, you can't tell me it's too much of a big deal to properly train an A.I or bot to selectively weed out negativity or deeply offensive posts and visitors.


Well, maybe you are tired of running and owning the forum.

It's nothing personal to me anyway, but over 6 bans in less than 2 days is unacceptable and speaks of deliberate hushing.


I say this because of what I heard is being done secretly by powers that be to quiet social media voices in Nigeria as 2027 approaches.

Might be a rumor, might not be...!

You re the one to purge urself from insults and uncouth languages when contributing here.

The same thing affected me until I changed the way I comment.


Many of you have nothing to contribute but to insult and attack, with no logical reason to proof points.

Fiscus105:



You re the one to purge urself from insult and uncouth language.

Lol... I don't use insults and uncouth language.

Maybe you are confusing me for someone else... I didn't this forum yesterday.

I know what I write about... And, I know a government agenda when I see one.

Please, don't argue with me.

I have delivered my message to the owner of the site... What he does or doesn't do with it is neither my headache nor yours.

I thought fuel was more expensive in Nigeria compared to other countries. Nah him be say we dey enjoy 😂😂😂

I'm surprised too

Angelfrost:


Lol... I don't use insults and uncouth language.

Maybe you are confusing me for someone else... I didn't this forum yesterday.

I know what I write about... And, I know a government agenda when I see one.

Please, don't argue with me.

I have delivered my message to the owner of the site... What he does or doesn't do with it is neither my headache nor yours.

I repeat myself, learn how to comment without insult, scam or " erotic pic

Fiscus105:






Many of you have nothing to contribute but to insult and attack, with no logical reason to proof your point.

This part right here actually made me laugh... Nothing to contribute?!!

I don't want to brag sir... But, there are few of this forum that make meaningful contributions like I do.

Please, choose your words more carefully.

Fiscus105:



I repeat myself, learn how to comment without insult, scam or "adult pic

Let me also repeat myself for the last time...!

I know an agenda when I see one.

Thank you.

I thought in the absence of subsidy, each marketer can sell to whoever s/he pleases. If a marketer imports and decides to sell it to neighboring countries, why tag it smuggling? Are they stealing from the ones government bought to go sell to other countries? There's a need for more context to help understand.

Holybaddo:
I thought fuel was more expensive in Nigeria compared to other countries. Nah him be say we dey enjoy 😂😂😂

PMS is far cheaper in Nigeria than most countries around us

Petrol is 15 Cedis per litre in Ghana, same rate a dollar is exchanged. 1 dollar is 15 Ghana cedis.

TooMuchStuff:
Whaat ??
Na so profits dey plenty for dis business

YES O!
Oya, forward match to petrol smuggling business. We must make it in this Tinubu wicked government whether Abgado Bots like it or not.

If you believe the CG, you will believe anything

No much difference between Nigeria and neighbors. Our petrol market is more stable, most smugglers have changed business