Nigeria, Republic of Benin Customs Sign Communique

Nigeria, Republic of Benin Customs Sign Communique to Promotes ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme

  ZAINAB JUNAID

As part of the vision to review friendship with the customs administration of Benin Republic and deepen collaborations in areas of common interest, the Ag. Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and Director General of the Customs Administration Benin Republic, Mr. Alain Hinkati have jointly signed a communique to promote Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Libralization Scheme.

The Ag. CGC and his delegation had earlier this week paid a working visit to the Republic of Benin where he signed the communique and was also taken through the processes and operations of Customs facilities at Cotonou.

During the visit, the two Customs Chiefs engaged with stakeholders from both countries and their concerns were identified and effectively considered. 

Notable among the issues discussed, is the request to review the possibilities of reopening the border, and that of administrative charges. 

According to Nigeria's Ag. CGC, the visit is to deepen collaborations in mutually positive areas.

He said, "The objective of the visit is for us to review friendship with the customs administration of Benin and also to deepen collaborations in areas of common interest". 

"I saw the attention that was given to the port of Cotonou, the progress that is being made in reducing clearance time, ensuring that there is no congestion at the Port and, more importantly, using technology to drive operations of the Customs Administration.

"The attempt which Benin Customs has done towards trade facilitation is something that Nigeria Customs will also be doing particularly to look at where we can use our processes to reduce the cost and time of doing business," CGC Adewale explained. 

However, the joint communique signed by the two delegations read as follows:

The continuation of efforts to promote the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the facilitation of the movement of goods and community products in particular;

- Facilitation of the issue of Laisse passe for a short stay in one of the countries of means of transport registered in the other country;

- The removal of barriers and other obstacles to legitimate trade and the establishment of Customs units when the traffic justifies it;

- Strict compliance with transit rules;

- Harmonization of the list of products prohibited by the two countries;

- The rapid integration of Nigeria into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT), which already includes the Customs Administrations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo;

- Strengthening the fight against cross-border crime through cooperation, intelligence sharing and the pooling of resources;

- Holding meetings twice a year to discuss matters of common interest; 

- The reactivation of the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations;

- The revival of consultation frameworks of border customs units with the active participation of the private sector; 

- Promoting good relations with border populations, professionalism and tax compliance;

- Securing the international supply chain.

Meanwhile, the Ag. CGC and his delegation also visited the Nigerian Embassy and met with Ambassador Kayode Aluko, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin.

They also had a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Benin, his Excellency Mr. Patrice TALON, on Sunday, 23rd of July, expressing the desire to initiate a new turning point marked by close collaboration in all areas.