‘Govt agencies’ checkpoints may hamper Nigeria-Benin trade agreement’

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Customs Administration of Benin Republic memorandum of understanding (MoU) on seamless trade facilitation between the two parties may be fruitless due to the refusal of Nigerian government agencies officials to remove the many checkpoints along Badagry and Seme border road.

The MoU is principally to facilitate ease of doing business between the Nigeria/Benin trade corridor just as the strategy involves clearing Nigerian-bound goods in Benin and moving across the border without delay and vice versa.

A similar MoU was signed with Benin during the administration of the former Comptroller General of NCS, Hameed Ali, but was frustrated because of the stifling of movement of goods at numerous checkpoints that did not conform to the terms of the trade agreement.

Benin Republic had complained about the development, while signing the MoU, saying the illegal roadblocks would be a clog to the smooth running of the trade agreement between the two nations.

Recall that after a series of calls by stakeholders to President Bola Tinubu to put in place policies to let borders be more viable for business and services to thrive, the Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, promised to work with sister agencies along Seme border to reduce the number of checkpoints on the corridor.

Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had raided the axis about a month ago with some policemen arrested, but the menace has since resurfaced

To date, there are about 52 checkpoints along Badagry and Seme border road with 30 of them mounted by the Nigeria police, while the other 22 are mounted by different government agencies which include, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Plant Quarantine Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Customs Service and Federal Road Safety Corps among others.

Given the recent agreement with the neighbouring country, the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) is calling on the NCS leadership to as a matter of urgency, seek the intervention of the Inspector General of Police and other sister agencies, which have turned the Badagry-Seme border route to extortions haven to desist for the new trade agreement to achieve its aim.

According to maritime journalists, the synergy is necessary as it is expected to benefit both countries, especially in the areas of bilateral trade and revenue generation for both countries.

AMJON noted that if the NCS were able to do away with the multiple checkpoints, the Service would have renewed the hope of importers, exporters and investors in the international trade chain.

“It is imperative to note that the greatest hindrance to this feat is the multiple extortion points mostly mounted by the Nigeria Police, along the Nigeria- Benin- Abidjan corridor. It behooves the Inspector General of Police to muster the political will to dismantle this monster by his officers and men as an albatross against the trade MoU.

“Nigeria is the only country in the world that has over eight checkpoints within a kilometer. Without exaggeration, between Badagry Roundabout and before Gbaji Bridge, less than two kilometers, one will find between eight to 10 checkpoints. After the Gbaji Bridge, less than one kilometre, one will find between 12 to 15 checkpoints on both sides. What else can be embarrassing for a country?” the maritime group stated.