The announcement was made by Ibrahim Musa, the Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, during a speech at an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting between officials of Nigeria and Benin. In his address, Musa explained that the decision to reopen the border was based on the pleas made by freight forwarders for the free movement of goods and services.
Musa stated, "I was here with the former Minister of State for Transportation when the Freight Forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services. The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government."
The Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, Dera Nnadi, also highlighted the impact of the vehicle importation ban on their revenue. Nnadi expressed, "The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, one of them is how to fully open this border. The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted."
With the re-opening of the Seme border, there is optimism among stakeholders that trade and economic activities will flourish once again. The decision showcases the government's responsiveness to the needs of its citizens and commitment to promoting growth and development in the region.
Title: Tinubu-led Federal Government Grants Approval for Re-opening of Seme Border for Vehicle Importation
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