Producers decry influx of imported vegetable oil, agencies’ neglect

May 25, 2026 7:34 pm

The Vegetable and Edible Oil Producers Association of Nigeria has raised concerns over what it described as the unchecked influx of imported vegetable oil into the country, blaming regulatory agencies for failing to adequately protect local manufacturers.

The National President of the association, Okey Ikoro, made the disclosure at a press conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Monday.

Ikoro said the relevant agencies had failed in their responsibilities to curb the importation of refined vegetable oil, which he said was having both financial consequences for indigenous producers and health implications for consumers.

He said since 2024, there had been an unchecked influx of refined vegetable oil from other countries into Nigeria, adding that the development had pushed many of his members into debt and forced several businesses to shut down.

According to him, it is nearly impossible for indigenous vegetable oil producers to compete favourably with imported marketers who do not bear the same production costs, including high electricity tariffs, value-added tax, and alternative power expenses for running factories.

Ikoro warned that as long as such imports continued, local producers would keep shutting down operations, struggling to employ workers, owing salaries, and finding it difficult to service loans, while consumers could also be exposed to unregulated products.

He said, “The 2023 fiscal policy placed imported refined vegetable oil as contraband, and we made significant progress, and our businesses and companies expanded, and we hired more hands.”

“But from 2025, everything collapsed. Since then, Nigerian markets have been flooded with all sorts of vegetable oil products through the Badagry border. And this has resulted in lots of setbacks for us. Many who took loans cannot service them, and businesses have been folding up since then.”

Ikoro added that the market had been flooded with numerous brands with little regulatory scrutiny.

“There are over 100 oil brands in the Nigerian markets today, and nobody checks them like ours because they are cheaper. They don’t have to pay for band A electricity charges, pay VAT, or even diesel for the machines. Nobody knows the processes under which they were produced and our people are consuming them, even with the risks involved,” he said.

He urged regulatory agencies to step up enforcement, warning that continued inaction could worsen the crisis in the sector.

“We want Customs, NAFDAC, and SON to wake up to their responsibilities, and if they cannot, the federal government should find an alternative for them because we can’t continue like this. Just last week, our members arrested three trucks with 100 tonnes of vegetable oil each, and we ask how do they cross the borders, these are heavy big trucks during broad daylight. Customs, NAFDAC and SON are killing our businesses,” he lamented.

Ikoro further maintained that locally produced refined palm oil remains healthier and more nutritious compared to imported alternatives, citing better fortification and cholesterol content.

He also urged Nigerians to patronise locally produced vegetable oil, warning that increased consumption of unregulated imported products could contribute to rising cardiovascular health risks.

Uche Okere

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