By Merit Ibe
The governments of Nigeria and the Beninese have decided to invite private sector to run the Seme/Krake Joint Border Post to facilitate trade between the two countries and the sub-regional communities.
This was made known recently after the ministerial meeting on the operationalisation of the Seme/Krake Joint Border Post held at Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
According to a release signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Transport, Eric Ojiekwe, it was also agreed that the challenges mitigating against its smooth operation would be addressed within two years by both countries before handing over to the private sector.
The ECOWAS Commission under the 10th European Development Fund Transport Facilitation, funded by the European Union built and equipped the Joint Border Post.
The highlight of the occasion was the signing of the bilateral agreement on the Operationalization of the Joint Border Post by the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, on behalf of the Nigerian government while her counterpart, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Romuald Wadagni, signed on behalf of the Republic of Benin.