“No More Smuggling”: Nigeria, Benin Reaches Agreement To Allow Importers Use Cotonou Port
- Nigerian customs have reached an agreement with its Benin counterpart to allow goods destined for Nigeria to be cleared at Cotonou
- The agreement will go a long way in putting an end to illegal activities at the border from Nigerians
- Also, the decision to allow importers to use the Cotonou port is expected to help boost formal trade channels
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has announced a bilateral agreement with its Benin counterpart to allow Nigerian importers clear their goods from the port in Cotonou.
This was disclosed by Adewale Adeniyi, acting comptroller-general of the NCS after a meeting with director-general and senior officials of the customs service of Benin Republic.
Source: UGC
Nigeria, Benin agreement
Adeniyi explained that the agreement was aimed at boosting trade relations between Nigeria and the Benin Republic, as well as curbing smuggling. Cable reports.
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The message reads:
“We are building confidence in the system offered by the Republic of Benin, our importers are using their ports and vice-versa.
“If there are people in the Benin Republic who want to use our ports, we try to build trust in our systems.
"As a result of this agreement, Nigerian importers who choose to utilize Cotonou ports can now have their goods cleared there, as this agreement provides them with the opportunity to fulfill their duty obligations for applicable goods.
“We can account for the duties on those goods in the ports of arrival. So they will now be free to enter Nigeria.”
Items smuggled into Nigeria from Benin
Regarding smuggling, the acting comptroller-general said vehicles are not the only item being smuggled, Punch reports.
His words
“It goes beyond vehicles. Any goods arriving in Cotonou ports, duty can be accessed and payment can be made and from there, it comes into the Nigerian territory.
“It is just like what happens when goods come in through Lagos or Port Harcourt; it is pretty much the same. But we have not got there. We have agreed in principle that we can operationalise this.
“So the steps that we are going to take to get us to that particular destination is what we will be working on."
Good news for Nigerian business owners as NPA takes strategic decision over maritime logistics
In another report, Legit.ng revealed that the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello Koko has reiterated the authority's unwavering commitment to partnering with and supporting private sector investors across the country.
Koko assured that the NPA through its partnership with the private sector will improve efficiency in the maritime logistics value chain.
He said this while leading the minister of transportation, Muazu Sambo to the Ijora Container Terminal on the sidelines of the minister's tour of Tincan and Apapa Port Complexes.
Source: Legit.ng
