Nigeria, Benin Republic Customs eye Preferential Trade Relationship,
....to leverage digital capturing of Informal Trade around the corridor
ZAINAB JUNAID
The Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi Adewale has identified preferential trade agreement; digital capturing of volume of informal trade existing between Nigeria and Benin Republic; inward looking of economic development model among others as strategic topics to be discussed at the meeting scheduled to hold with the Customs Administration of Benin Republic on Monday, July 24, 2023.
CGC Adewale gave the highlights on Friday, July 20, 2023, during his working visit to Seme Area Command and Seme-Krake Border communities, adding that the objective is to enhance mutual beneficial relationship between the two countries.
Accoding to him, "The meeting will address the issue of informal trade existing around the economic bloc which technological tools have captured in the trade statistics. There are so many Small Medium Enterprise programmes existing but not captured in the trade statistics and this present a distorted version of what occurs in our various countries. There is need for collaboration in order to capture the volume of informal trade that operate between our countries. We are seeking to build cooperation with the customs administration of Benin Republic, we will revisit all agreements earlier reached and see how element of technology will be brought into our operations.
"As we are are more farmiliar with Ecowas Trade Libralization Scheme (ETLS), which started over 30 years ago. We need to redefine our economic prosperity in the framework of the trade we conduct between ourselves. There is need for inward looking economic development model, which is what ETLS and African Continental Free Trade Area is all about. The drive is towards suspension of customs duty on goods that are traded within our economic bloc. Evolving economic model, preferential trade agreement among others are task that customs need to prepare for."
On Border Security, CGC Adewale charged other governmental security agencies to synergise with Customs Service, put aside grudges and collaborates with each other to promote National security.
He stressed the need to draw strength from the complementarity of the force operations and move beyond what only constitute revenue generation but should jointly curb all identified loopholes that creates threat to National Security, especially in area of streamlining existing multiple checkpoints.
To him, "All security agencies need to enhance the move to rationalise multiple checkpoints on the border which has become a national embarrasment. This must be achieved without compromising our national security. There is need to collectively find a way to review our operations in such a way that will strike a balance between enforcing the controls which all forces are statutorily mandated to do and facilitating legitimate trade for those who use the corridor."
Focusing more on the support needed from the host community, the CGC went further saying that the full reopening of borders also depends largely on the cooperation of local communities with customs and other law enforcement agencies by providing intelligence and information that can help curtail insecurity and smuggling.
The CGC opined that symbiotic relationship is needed to enhance trade facilitation and hasten the reopening of the borders.
In his words, "National Security is a priority that should be treated by all and sundries, not just the duty of the security agencies. As we make life easier for business, let's make life and work of security agencies easier too. Help reinforce our national security by providing necessary intelligence needed to combat smuggling and insecurity. If the agencies can carry out their duties with accurate intelligence from the citizens, there will not be need for multiple checkpoints. I promise to engage other agencies on how we can streamline these checkpoints.
"The borders were closed but not all were reopened. We have started discussions along the line. Policies that are aimed at enhancing national securities are supposed to be dynamic policies. At different times we will be reviewing them, which we've started doing and that was why some were reopened and others will still be opened as time goes by. But this will be subjected to a review as it depends on report received on how the community is adhesive to supporting the law enforcement agencies with intelligence reports on sight criminals," he declared.
However, in his earlier address, the Area Controller of Seme Command, Dera Nnadi, appreciated the CGC and his team for their support on the success and welfare of the officers and men of the Command and used the medium to call the CGC's attention to some problems encountered at the border.
He stressed that the facility at the border needs constant upgrading, the vehicle and truck parks need to be paved, likewise the floodlights need to be replaced.
Comptroller Nnadi also highlighted notable impacts the command has made so far, citing how the Command made headlines in the area of anti smuggling with the seizure of fake six million US dollars equivalent to two billion seven hundred million Naira (₦2.7bn) which is in addition to other notable seizures recorded between January and June 2023. Setting a revenue target of One Billion, Nine Hundred and Sixty Million Naira (1,960,000,000.00), Comptroller Nnadi disclosed that as at 20th of July 2023, the Command had generated a total of One Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira, Fifty Seven kobo (₦1,320,582,937.57k), representing 67% of the said target.
"In comparison, the Command collected Nine Hundred and Seventeen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Eight Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira, Twenty Eight kobo (₦917,788,329.28k). During the corresponding year.
"Other seizures from January to June period, included 6,569 bags of foreign parboiled rice valued at over Two Hundred and Fifteen Million, Nine Hundred and Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (N215,907,171.00) and petroleum products equivalent to 12 petroleum tankers with a value of Six Hundred and Eighty Million, Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (N680,263,271.00) only. The total duty paid value (DPV) of all seized items in this period amounted to One Billion, Fifteen Million, and One Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven Naira (N1,015,173,587.00) only," he said.
Comptroller Nnadi added that the Command has also invested so much in trade facilitation and has been at the forefront of dismantling trade barriers.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Badagry West Local Government, Hon. Joseph Gbenu expressed satisfaction on the assurances given by the Customs Comptroller-General, st that the border community has enjoyed robust collaboration and support since the appointment of Comptroller Dera Nnadi, as the Area Controller of Seme Command.
Hon. Gbenu commended NCS for the Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) projects in different parts of Badagry environs, and also guaranteed increased stakeholder/ border communities’ partnership with Customs and other security agencies at the border axis.
Mr Onyekachi Ojinma, the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Seme Chapter, on his part, used the medium to urge President Bola Tinubu to help put in place favorable policies around border which will help enhance business environment for business and services operators.
The Customs CG and his team who earlier visited the Akran of Badagry, Aholu Lehi Toyi to receive royal blessings were welcomed at the Seme Area Command with a large crowd of different Royal fathers, stakeholders, representatives from sisters Agencies, representatives of Customs Krake, Federal Republic of Benin, Community leaders as well as performing dancing troops, who defied the rain to grace his visit.
