Acting Comptroller-General of Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi in a group photograph with participants at the event
As part of measures to boost intra-African trade, especially within the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, the Nigeria Customs Service and its Benin Republic counterpart have agreed to strengthen ties between Nigeria and the Republic in order to boost cross border trade within the sub-region.
Acting Comptroller-General of Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi in a handshake with his counterpart
Speaking at a two-day interactive session between the Nigeria Customs Service and Benin Republic Customs in Abuja, Monday, acting Comptroller-General of Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the Nigeria Customs Service is committed to partnering the Republic of Benin Customs Administration through the deployment of technology to manage cross-border trade between both countries.
Part of the objectives of the meeting is to further strengthen the already existing bilateral trade ties and cooperation between the two countries, which will pave the way for a comprehensive mechanism to harmonise the import prohibition lists of the two countries.
The Nigeria’s Customs Comptroller General also appreciated the Benin Customs and Embassy of the country for expressing interest in collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service to enhance trade facilitation.
“The Customs administration in both countries have a very good idea and technical know-how on what it means with trade; thus, we are back with a renewed enthusiasm to foster our relationship and make impact on our trade facilitation roadmap.
Mr Adeniyi
“It is our hope that the programme will address the issues of trade and set a roadmap for implementation of new strategies that will enhance the economy and revenue in Nigeria and Benin Republic. Thus, our organiations need to come up with ideas that will address the issues of transit and other progressive measures”, the acting CGC said.
He also observed that with the increasing global security challenges, the need for both customs administrations to work in synergy cannot be over-emphasised, adding that their intended mutualism will boost their relationship to improve the economy of both two countries.
