The Customs Administrations of Nigeria and Benin Republic, recently at a two-day interactive session in Abuja, signed an agreement to develop frameworks for clearing of Nigeria bound goods in Benin Ports and vice versa.
The two customs administrations agreed to collaborate to enhance trans-border security and regulate trade between the two countries.
The agreement is expected to deepen the relationship between Nigeria and Benin while promoting their age-old bilateral trade ties.
Other areas that the partnership will address include enhancing the proper use of International Transit Guidelines to govern transit-bound goods and fees from Cotonou Port to Nigeria, as well as Integration of Nigeria into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit.
A joint communique signed by the Ag. Comptroller-General of the  Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and Director-General of the Bennese Customs, Alain Hinkati, highlighted that their meeting favours the desire of the two countries’ presidents: Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Talon, to strengthen shared commitment to enhancing trade facilitation and promoting economic development.
It will also enable the countries to foster closer ties between then, while also reactivating the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations.
Since the signing of the important agreement, many have been left in doubt as to its benefits to Nigeria as a nation, even as many have als argued that by this development, Nigeria would be taking its market and labour to Benin Republic.
However, speaking with journalists on assumption of duty at the Tincan Island Port Command, the new Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, explained that the agreement, in real terms, was to promote regional trade, especially as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) regime is set to begin.
He said Nigeria stands to gain immensely from the arrangement should the framework for the implementation of the agreement be properly worked out.
According to him, critics simply do not understand the importance of Benin Republic to Nigeria as a trade partner that it can’t do without, trade wise, adding that of the 350 million people in West Africa, about 200 million of them could be found in Nigeria alone.
Wondering where Nigeria should export excess of its manufactured products to, he said, “Are you taking them to Europe where they already have those things?
“The only thing we can take away from here to Europe is oil and gas, then, raw materials. Those that will buy these manufactured products from us are our neighbours”, he emphasized.
Giving details of how the strategic framework agreement was conceived, Nnadi, who is the immediate past Customs Area Controller, Seme Border Command, recalled that goods move from the Gambia, Togo, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso through Benin Republic to Nigeria, adding that if they must pass to Niger too on transit, being a landlocked country, they must pass through Benin into Niger.
“So, we thought about it, that these people are strategic partners. If they close their borders the way we closed our own, what happens?
“You don’t take it for granted because, when we went to Benin, the impression was this small Benin. I told them these people are not small, they are flying their own flag.
“Don’t forget, we will soon enter into the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. So, all it will take these people to do is to invite companies to establish in their own country and they manufacture them there and everything manufactured in Africa where this thing (AfCFTA) takes place is now duty free. So, what do you do? It is to start now to protect.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos