The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), last week, suffered a setback after the Nigerian government shut the country’s land borders with her West African neighbours.
And with the Nigeria Customs Services insisting that all land borders remained closed for 28 days, the Customs Services is at a possible risk of losing about N1.05 billion, which it ought to have raked in within the period from Nigeria’s two busiest land borders at Seme and Idiroko
The closure is also coming two months after Nigeria ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA).
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, while commenting on the closure of the land borders said, “As part of measures to secure Nigeria’s land and maritime borders, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Immigration Service NIS, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as well as the Nigeria Police Force and other security and intelligence agencies will be conducting a joint border security exercise, codenamed ‘EX-SWIFT RESPONSE.”
The spokesman, who issued a statement on behalf of Hameed Ali, Comptroller-General of Customs further stated: “The joint exercise is being coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and will take place in four geopolitical zones, namely; South-South, South-West, North-Central and North-West. It is expected that the exercise will promote interagency cooperation and increase preparedness to address trans-border security challenges such as terrorism, armed banditry, smuggling, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, amongst others.
“The exercise will also involve the movement of personnel, vehicles and equipment within the affected parts of the country. Therefore, we call on members of the public not to panic and should continue to engage in their normal duties. The overall objective is to ensure a peaceful and secure country in the interest of our national security”.
Sources indicates that while the services rake in approximately N21 million daily from the Seme border, yielding a total of N588 million for the 28 days, about N16.5 million is earned by the service at the Idiroko border, which accumulates to N462 million in 28 days. For the period, the Nigeria Customs would be losing as much as N1.050 billion.
