By Bon Peters

About 17 containers containing illicit items worth over N2 billion have been seized by the Area 11 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, between January and April 2026.

In the period under review, the agency generated about N258 billion as revenue, a statement signed by the command’s acting spokesman, Mr Paul Istifanus Gimba, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1, disclosed on Thursday.

The Customs Area Controller for the Command, Comptroller Aliyu Mohammed Alkali, said last month, more than N77 billion was generated, noting that this reflects the command’s unwavering commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation, and the enforcement of extant government fiscal policies.

He stated that in the second month of this month, his men intercepted an attempt to smuggle one 40-foot container declared to contain plumbing materials, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N185.2 million.

According to him, upon examination, it was discovered that the perpetrators had concealed the original container number and replaced it with a fake one in an attempt to unlawfully remove the container from the port without payment of duty.

Furthermore, he hinted that in April 2026, the command intercepted six 20-foot containers carrying a total of 1,100 jerricans of Super Delicieux Vegetable Oil with a DPV of N494.0 million, in contravention of section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which prohibited the importation of refined vegetable oils and fats in order to protect and promote local industries, particularly domestic vegetable oil producers and agro-allied businesses.

The senior customs officer highlighted other items seized by his men during the period under review, including cartons of chilli cutters, ceiling fans, and food packs.

The Comptroller reminded all mischievous importers and their agents that the command remained unwavering in its resolve to combat smuggling and all forms of illegal trade practices at the port, even as he strongly encouraged all law-abiding traders to remain compliant and resist the temptation to engage in activities that contravene the law.

Mr Alkali praised the professionalism of the officers and men of the command as well as their vigilance and dedication to duty.

He also thanked members of the press for their continued partnership and commitment to disseminating accurate and reliable information about the activities of the agency to the public.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Indonesia has imported crude oil from Nigeria as Southeast Asia’s largest economy moves to reduce its dependence on Middle Eastern supplies amid rising geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources confirmed that Nigerian crude cargoes have already arrived in the country as part of efforts to diversify supply routes away from the volatile Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit chokepoint that handles about 20 per cent of world oil shipments.

The development positions Nigeria as an increasingly strategic alternative supplier in the global energy market as buyers seek more stable and flexible crude sources outside the Middle East.

Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest crude producer, has always sold some of its crude grades via joint ventures with international oil companies as well as to Dangote Refinery, to boost domestic production.

Indonesia’s Director General of Oil and Gas, Mr Laode Sulaeman, said the country was prioritising crude imports from suppliers whose shipping routes do not pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has faced heightened security concerns following the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

Apart from Nigeria, Indonesia is also considering crude supplies from Russia and the US.

The move could strengthen Nigeria’s crude export market at a time the country is seeking to boost production levels and attract new long-term buyers for its oil grades.

Speaking in March, the chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Bayo Ojulari, said that Nigeria could increase oil production by about 100,000 barrels per day ‌over the next few months to realistically help the global shortfall.

Before the latest geopolitical tensions, around 20 per cent of Indonesia’s crude imports came from the Middle East. However, the country has now accelerated plans to diversify supply sources, naming Nigeria among key replacement suppliers alongside Angola, Brazil, Russia, and the US.

The development comes as Nigeria continues to gain attention in global oil markets, with its crude grades increasingly sought after because of their relatively low sulphur content and suitability for modern refineries.

Indonesia also recently opened talks with Russia for long-term crude and liquefied petroleum gas supplies, including a proposed purchase of 150 million barrels of Russian crude scheduled for delivery from late 2026.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Analysts at Coronation Research have said the inflation rate in Nigeria would be at 15.95 per cent on a year-on-year basis in April 2026 as a result of the “energy price shock stemming from the continued conflict in the Middle East, seasonal issues in regard to food prices and relative exchange rate stability.”

In a note sighted by Business Post on Friday, the research arm of the organisation further disclosed that the average price of goods and services for the month under review should rise by 2.35 per cent on a month-on-month basis versus 4.18 per cent in March 2026, reflecting continued food price firmness, offset by a cooling in the monthly inflation momentum as the March energy price shock partially unwinds.

It said the projected 2.35 per cent inflation rate signals a return toward the underlying disinflation trajectory and could be a pivotal data point in shaping Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) deliberations at the next policy meeting.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is expected to release inflation numbers for last month later today. In March 2026, the rate soared by 15.38 per cent, triggered by the war in Iran waged by the United States.

Food inflation rate in March stood at 14.31 per cent on a year-on-year basis versus 25.22 per cent in the same month of last year, but on a month-on-month basis, it slowed to 4.17 per cent from the 4.69 per cent achieved in February 2026.

This was attributed to the rate of change in the average prices of Yam, Ginger (Fresh), Cassava Tuber, Groundnuts (Shelled), Irish Potatoes, Avenger (Ogbono/Apon) – Dried Ungrinded, Tomatoes (fresh), Cassava Flour sold loose, etc, according to the stats office.

In their report, Coronation Research expects food inflation to further ease, as food and non-alcoholic beverages remain the dominant contributor to headline CPI, accounting for about 40 per cent of the CPI basket.