Abuja, Sept. 13, 2023 – Nigerian importers will soon begin to clear their goods in Cotonou, Benin Republic, under a scheme being worked out by the two countries.
This was one of the decisions reached at a two-day working visit of the Director-General of Customs Service of Benin Republic, Mr Alain Kinkati.
According to a communique signed at the end of the visit on Tuesday, a clearing point for Nigeria-bound goods will be set up within Cotonou ports.
Adewale Adeniyi, the Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the details of the framework were being worked out.
Under the arrangement, Nigeria-bound goods would be assessed and appropriate duties paid in the originating country with such duties credited to the Nigerian government through the Nigerian Customs Service.
Adeniyi described the framework as a progress in the sub-regional integration and trade facilitation efforts in collaboration with their counterparts from neighboring Benin Republic.
He said the Nigeria Customs Service was harmonising the list of prohibited items with Benin Republic.
He said the arrangement would substantially reduce barriers around trade corridors as the number of checkpoints had already been significantly reduced.
Adeniyi said that plans were also at the final stages of aligning its Information Technology (IT) system with that of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to curb smuggling of vehicles into the country.
He said the Nigeria Customs Service was committed to collaborating with the Republic of Benin Customs Administration using technology to manage cross-border trade between the two countries.
Adeniyi said the visit would strengthen the existing bilateral trade ties and cooperation between the two countries and pave the way for a comprehensive mechanism to harmonize the import prohibition lists of both neighbours.
He lauded the Beninois Customs and Embassy for expressing interest in collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service to facilitate trade.
The Nigeria Customs boss expressed optimism that the scheme would address issues of trade and set a roadmap for implementation of new strategies that would enhance the economies and revenues of both countries.
He said the need for both countries’ customs services to work together had become imperative in view of the increasing global security challenges. (GBN)
