Coup Threatens $180m Nigeria, Niger Republic Cross-border Trade
Export and transit cargoes between Nigeria and its West African neighbour, Republic of Niger, worth $180million are lurching towards a decline due to the sanctions placed on Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), LEADERSHIP Sunday findings have revealed.
ECOWAS had sanctioned Niger Republic after its presidential guards toppled the government of President Mohamed Bazoum and announced Abdrahmane Tchiani as the new president.
Part of the sanctions slammed on that country by the regional body include border closure against Niger Republic and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with security forces already ensuring strict enforcement of the directive by shutting the Nigerian-Niger Republic borders at the seven Nigeria’s northern states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.
Following the closure of the borders, cargoes bound for Niger Republic as well as those bound for Nigeria are currently trapped at the borders of the two countries.
The acting comptroller general of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, also ordered officers of the Service to stop all transit cargoes heading to Niger Republic through all land borders and seaports across the country.
According to him, following the closure of the Nigerian- Nigerien borders, transit cargoes may be smuggled through other Land border posts in the country.
According to him, all transit cargoes headed for Niger Republic through the other land borders, including Idiroko, must be stopped.
He said, “We are monitoring what is happening in Niger Republic and I can assure you that implementation of that directive given by the ECOWAS head of states is 100 per cent and when that is happening smugglers will want to explore openings in other borders, and may want to use other routes. All transit goods heading for Niger Republic should be stopped.”
LEADERSHIP Sunday investigation has shown that transit cargoes headed for Niger Republic no longer come into Nigerian seaports.
Checks by our correspondent from container terminals during the week showed that Nigeria has no record of handling transit cargoes for the landlocked West Africa country.
Maritime experts, however, argued that Nigeria has been removed from the transit nations by Niger Republic.
But at the leading terminal operator, APM Terminals, Apapa, there is no cargo destined for Niger Republic brought into the terminal.
A source who craved anonymity said cargoes destined for Niger Republic are not in the terminal but it is possible they come and offload the cargoes on trucks at various warehouses and take them to the West African country by road.
Also, Port & Cargo terminal, Tin Can Island, said they have never received Niger Republic-bound cargoes.
The newly commissioned Lekki port also stated that Niger Republic-bound cargoes are not part of transit cargoes received in the port in July.
According to the https://oec.world/en, in 2021, Nigeria exported $180 million to Niger Republic. The main products exported from Nigeria to Niger were Electricity ($54.2 million), Rolled Tobacco ($45.1 million) and Cement ($38.3 mliion).