Customs, NMDPRA Step Up Security to Curb Fuel Diversion

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have stepped up joint actions to curb fuel diversion and safeguard Nigeria’s domestic energy supply.

The renewed collaboration came into focus during a meeting in Abuja between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and NMDPRA’s Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha.

In a statement issued Sunday by Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada, Adeniyi reaffirms the Service’s commitment to stronger inter-agency cooperation to prevent petroleum products meant for local consumption from being diverted across Nigeria’s borders.

He said collaboration with NMDPRA has already produced measurable results, particularly through Operation Whirlwind, which he described as a model for intelligence sharing, joint enforcement and coordinated field operations.

Adeniyi noted that Customs remains aligned with ongoing reforms in the petroleum sector and will continue to provide border management expertise, operational feedback as well as technical input to support new NMDPRA guidelines.

He commended the Authority for harmonising regulatory processes in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), stressing that clear export procedures are essential as Nigeria moves from being a net importer to an emerging exporter of petroleum products.

“We welcome initiatives that strengthen energy security and ensure the gains made in reducing cross-border diversion are sustained”.

“Our shared responsibility is to protect national interest, support legitimate trade and maintain a transparent system,” Adeniyi said.

In his remarks, Ukoha described the partnership between NMDPRA and the Nigeria Customs Service as longstanding and impactful, with Operation Whirlwind representing the peak of that cooperation.

He said joint deployment of personnel, intelligence sharing and coordinated monitoring of border corridors have significantly reduced fuel smuggling and diversion.

Ukoha explained that the visit was to brief the Customs boss on newly developed guidelines for the designation of petroleum export points, in response to Nigeria’s growing refining capacity.

According to him, NMDPRA is consulting key institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Nigerian Navy and Customs, to ensure the guidelines reflect operational realities before full implementation.

He recalled joint field operations, including the launch of Operation Whirlwind in Yola, as evidence of both agencies’ commitment to securing the domestic fuel supply chain.

Ukoha maintained that beyond enforcement, the removal of fuel subsidy has reduced the economic incentive for cross-border smuggling, helping to sustain recent gains.

He assured that NMDPRA will continue to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service to regulate petroleum exports effectively without undermining Nigeria’s energy security.