PBAT Grants Access To Niger To Ease Movement Of Goods

As part of efforts to unlock transit bottlenecks and strengthen cross-border trade, President Bola Tinubu has approved the provision of safe corridors and safe passage to ease the movement of loaded trucks awaiting clearance to the Republic of Niger.

The Comptroller General of Customs ,CGC,Adewale Adeniyi made this known during a high-level bilateral meeting between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Niger Republic Customs Administration, led by its Director-General, Muhammadu Yaqouba, at the Customs House, Maitama, Abuja.

He explained that the initiative aims to facilitate the movement of transit cargo, particularly goods from Apapa ports and Nigerian airports, destined for neighbouring countries, while ensuring that national security and economic interests are not compromised.

Mr Adeniyi assured that such cargoes would continue to be processed and moved within 48 hours, adding that strict measures have been put in place to prevent diversion of transit goods, with stiff sanctions awaiting economic operators who violate transit regulations.

According to him, non-compliance by a few operators creates non-tariff barriers and undermines trust, stressing that the Service was determined to streamline documentation and remove avoidable bottlenecks along major corridors such as Illela–Sokoto–Kamba–Niger Republic, as well as routes linking Apapa ports and airports to neighbouring countries.

CGC Adeniyi congratulated the Director-General of Niger Republic Customs on his appointment, noting that both administrations share a long history of professional collaboration through the World Customs Organisation (WCO) platforms and bilateral engagement.

Earlier, the Director-General of the Niger Republic Customs Administration, Muhammadu Yaqouba, described the visit as a working engagement between two professional Customs administrations bound by shared responsibilities.

He thanked the Nigeria Customs Service for the warm reception accorded to him and his delegation, noting that it reflected the longstanding fraternity between both countries and their Customs institutions.

According to him, the visit was necessitated by two significant challenges: the prolonged blockage of trucks transiting from the Republic of Benin to the Niger Republic and prevailing security concerns across the region.

Ene Idoko, Edited By Grace Namiji