The former Director of Advocacy and Research at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr Vincent Nwani has berated the federal government over the partial closure of the land borders across the country.
Nwani who said the partial closure of land borders in the country will not reduces smuggling but will rather increase smuggling and illegal activities through the corridors.
Nwani said, “unfortunately closing the land borders without prior notice has hampered businesses and destruction of perishable goods running into millions of dollars.”
He said the best way for the Federal Government to stop smuggling is to improve integrity and remove corruption in the processes and operation of government officials assigned with the responsibility of protecting our borders.
According to him “Closing of land borders especially in the southern part of the country over a week now is a challenge, one is that it was partially closed without notice and you know that anything that concerns business that just happens without notice will create some uncertainty and businesses will suffer.”
“Secondly the closing of the border is also against ECOWAS protocol which Nigeria is signatory to and then it goes a long way to affect our ease of doing business, because currently according to world bank ease of doing business ranking ,Nigeria ranks 183 out of 185in the last ranking and closing the border will only make this indicators to get worse having said that a lot of trade volume and value will be lost to the closure.
Nwani said such ill attitude from our government can lead to reciprocation from other West African Countries which will be consequential for the country.
He disclosed that over 36, 000 bags of foreign parboiled rice are being smuggled into the country through the Nigeria-Niger border, Nigeria-Cotonou border in the northern part of the country every minute.
Nwani said: “90% of Ghana total import comes from Nigeria not just Nigeria, but other West African countries, but the fear is that other West African countries might reciprocate this type of ill attitude against Nigeria which will be consequential.
“The other point of note is that while the Cotonou and Idiroko borders are closed or partially closed other borders like Nigeria – Niger border, Nigeria-Cameroun borders in the north are still open and over 36,000 bags of rice are smuggled into the country every minute through okada in those corridors and nobody is checking that.
“Weapons are coming in weapons are going out through those borders as we speak while the southern borders are closed so this are some concerns that needs to be highlighted.
“In terms of naira and kobo on daily basis we are losing about $50million through the land borders so closing the southern border again will greatly affect this number, and closing the border is not the best way to stop smuggling, the best way to stop smuggling is to improve integrity and remove corruption in the processes and operation of government officials assigned with the responsibility of protecting our borders.
He urged the FG to take a clue from the United State of America challenges with Mexico by taking advantage of specialized technologies that can address these menace.
“The US have been having a lot of borders challenges with Mexico, and they didn’t close border, they are controlling the border, mounting the border physically and also with technology and even they are also talking about building wall, so these are the things I think we need to do, not just closing border.
“The more they close the border the more we increase the chance of smuggling and other illicit activities.
“Let’s deploy drones for areas we cannot control or build walls these are big investment but again it moves the country forward and remove corruption among customs and other agencies and these are the way to go, ” he said.