The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Government of Niger Republic have agreed to forge a strategic partnership aimed at ending regional insurgency, strengthening cross-border security, safeguarding transit cargo and boosting economic ties.

The Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this during a high-level bilateral meeting between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Niger Republic Customs Administration in Abuja. The Nigerien delegation was led by its Director-General, Muhammadu Yaqouba.

Adeniyi said the partnership would focus on regional trade facilitation, protection of transit cargo, enhanced information sharing and improved cross-border security cooperation.

According to him, the engagement is designed to improve the movement of transit goods destined for Niger Republic through Nigeria, address security challenges along shared borders and reduce delays along major transit corridors, thereby ensuring that legitimate trade contributes optimally to the economic growth of both countries.

“Cooperation between the two Customs services is shaped not only by our shared borders but also by international obligations, particularly Nigeria’s responsibilities under Articles 124 to 132 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantee landlocked countries access to the sea,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller-General acknowledged the operational challenges faced by landlocked countries, noting that reliance on neighbouring ports and infrastructure often increases transaction costs and reduces competitiveness.

“The Nigeria Customs Service has, over the years, remained committed to facilitating trade for our landlocked neighbours, including the Republic of Niger. This commitment will be sustained irrespective of political differences, because trade, security and regional stability are interconnected,” he added.

Addressing concerns over transit bottlenecks, Adeniyi revealed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of safe corridors and the provision of safe passage to ease the movement of loaded trucks awaiting clearance.

He assured that cargo transiting through Nigeria—particularly those from Apapa ports and Nigerian airports destined for neighbouring countries—would continue to be processed and moved within 48 hours, without compromising national security or economic interests.

The Customs boss further warned that strict measures have been put in place to prevent diversion of transit cargo, stressing that economic operators who violate transit regulations would face stiff sanctions.

“Non-compliance by a few operators creates non-tariff barriers and undermines trust. We are determined to enforce compliance, streamline documentation and remove avoidable bottlenecks along major corridors such as Illela, Sokoto, Kamba and routes linking Apapa ports and airports to neighbouring countries,” he said.

Adeniyi congratulated Yaqouba on his appointment as Director-General of Niger Republic Customs, noting that both administrations share a long history of professional collaboration through engagements at World Customs Organization (WCO) platforms and bilateral initiatives on modern customs administration.

He described the meeting as the beginning of a renewed phase of cooperation, stressing that sustained follow-up actions would help redefine operational processes, reduce costs, increase trade volumes and make the transit corridor more attractive to transport operators.

Earlier, Yaqouba described the visit as a working engagement between two professional Customs administrations bound by shared responsibilities.

He said the visit was necessitated by two major challenges: the prolonged blockage of trucks transiting from the Republic of Benin to Niger Republic, and prevailing security concerns across the region.
“We face common security challenges, particularly terrorism and banditry, and we believe that engagements like this provide an opportunity to find lasting solutions through cooperation and coordination,” Yaqouba said.

He disclosed that Niger Republic has intensified counter-terrorism efforts since 2024 with the launch of Operation Saran Kasa, a coordinated initiative involving all national security agencies, which he said has recorded notable successes.

As part of the operation, Yaqouba said scanners have been deployed to inspect all goods entering Niger Republic, stressing that Customs administrations play a critical role in combating terrorism, arms trafficking and cross-border criminality.

The Director-General recalled previous bilateral meetings between both Customs services, including the most recent in April 2023, and expressed confidence that continued collaboration would deliver tangible outcomes for both countries.