Nigeria, Benin, Niger to establish joint border patrol team

Nigeria, Benin and Niger have established a joint border patrol team comprising the Police, Customs and Immigration authorities of the three countries to recommend a date for the reopening of the borders.

Two months ago, the Nigerian government closed its land borders to all goods. According to the country’s Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Hameed Ali, this was done to stem the influx of smuggled goods, especially rice and tomatoes, into the country.

Thousands of Nigerians, especially women are engaged in buying and selling consumer goods around the border areas. They buy at low prices in one country and sell at higher prices in another. Black market foreign exchange dealers thrive at border posts.

The three neighboring countries held a meeting in Nigeria last week and took note of all concerns raised. They agreed to establish a tripartite monitoring and evaluating committee.

Reading the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the committee will comprise Ministers of Finance, Trade, Foreign Affairs, Customs, and Immigration.

He said the Committee is tasked with taking actions that would facilitate and enhance the suppression of smuggling and other related matters.

“The patrol team is to agree on the modality to carry out its operation and recommend a date for the opening of the borders,” Onyeama said.

The Joint Border Patrol Team is to hold its first meeting in Abuja Nov. 25 -27.

They also convened to set up a trade facilitation committee among the three countries, made up of the Ministers of Finance and Trade. This committee will promote intra-regional trade among the three countries, and put in place sanctions against goods smuggling.

“The governments agreed to ensure persons from the three countries to enter/exit each other’s state with valid ECOWAS recognized travel documents through recognized controlled posts.

The three countries are part of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a project to create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc, despite fears that they could be flooded with cheap goods from competitive neighbors.