APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs (NCS), Mr Adewale Adeniyi, has said that the NCS is in collaboration talks with the Customs Service of the Republic of Benin to improve trade relations between both countries.
Speaking during the two-day working visit of the Director-General of Customs, Republic of Benin, Mr Alain Hinkati, to Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja, MrAdeniyi said that the visit was in furtherance of the ongoing efforts to enhance customs administration, trade facilitation and regional cooperation.
He said that the visit marked a significant milestone in the journey of both countries to strengthen collaboration, eliminate barriers and promote legitimate trade within the West African region.
“It is with profound gratitude that I recall our previous visit to our esteemed counterparts in Benin, where fruitful discussions and resolutions were made; forging a path towards more efficient and effective customs practices.
“Today, I am honoured to highlight some of the remarkable progress we have made since that visit, as well as the commitment to further solidify these gains.
“On promotion of ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, the relevant department within the NCS has been entrusted with the task of reviewing the current impediments to the scheme to chart practical ways forward.
“Our objective remains steadfast; to stimulate economic growth, foster regional integration and nurture prosperity among our nations,” local media reports on Wednesday quoted Adeniyi as saying.
He disclosed that the collaboration between the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police and the Customs Service had undertaken substantial measures to reduce barriers along trade corridors.
“We are currently in the final stages of integrating our IT systems with the Federal Road Safety to curb illegal entry of vehicles.
“This integration will enhance our ability to monitor and regulate cross-border vehicle movements more effectively,” he said, adding that some initiatives had been launched to harmonise the list of products prohibited in Nigeria.
According to him, the NCS is swiftly progressing toward Nigeria’s integration into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT), joining hands with other West African nations.
“This interconnected system promises to further streamline our transit operations and improve regional trade dynamics,” he added.
The reports added that the visiting Director General of the Customs of the Republic of Benin had earlier commended the NCS for its efforts at forging the collaboration.
Mr. Hinkati said that his visit to Nigeria had provided the opportunity to deepen the different issues that were raised in June when Mr. Adeniyi paid a similar visit to the Republic of Benin.
“We have decided to explore the benefits of the opportunities of our mutual advantages.
“We are working towards having a Nigeria clearing ground Republic of Benin to make importation of goods through our borders more seamless,” Hinkati said.
GIK/APA
Customs Services of Nigeria, Benin collaborating to improve trade relations
