By Merit Ibe, [email protected]
The Federal Government has been urged to improve infrastructure in border communities and corridors to curtail smuggling.
Stakeholders who made the appeal following last weekooo?p’s ogovernment’s decision to reopen four additional land borders shut in August 2019 as part of efforts to curtail smuggling and boost local production of rice, said doing so would further strengthen national security.
This is even as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the government to liaise with relevant agencies, community leaders and other stakeholders to change the porous border narrative.
A circular released by the Nigeria Customs Service, listed the reopened borders to include Idiroko border post, Ogun State (South-West Zone); Jibiya border post, Katsina State (North-West Zone); Kamba border post, Kebbi State (North-West Zone) and Ikom border post, Cross River State (South-South Zone).
They argued that since the borders have been fully opened, activities should commence full scale unlike when it was partially opened.
Applauding the government, President, West African Association of Cross Border Trade (WAACBT), Alhaji Salami Alasoadua, noted that the development will fast-track the African Continental Free trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and boost the economy.
He emphasised the need for government to improve infrastructure on the corridors between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries, adding that socio-economic ties between communities on both sides of the border, enable smugglers to cross with ease.
Border communities also face major governance and developmental problems. The absence or weak presence of the state and the lack of economic opportunities make smuggling a useful source of livelihoods, Alasoadua said.
He lamented that some recommendations that were made some years back to improve the border communities and the corridors were yet to be implemented and urged government to act fast to boost trade.
“If the Customs bonded warehouses are constructed along the corridors between Nigeria and Benin at least 10 million service providers will be engaged.
“We call for border infrastructure, community enlightenment and empowerment of border communities. If we must curtail smuggling and improve local production, government must empower the border communities with hospitals, schools and other amenities.”
On his part, Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Apapa branch, Frank Onyebu, noted that the reopening of the land borders was long overdue.
“I want to restate that the borders ought not to have been closed in the first place if officials charged with manning such borders were doing their job.
The importance of a functional border management system cannot be overemphasised. There are serious security, economic and even sovereign implications to having a dysfunctional system such as ours. It is therefore important that the security and other agencies charged with manning our borders understand their mandate.