No fewer than 500 trucks loaded with perishable goods have been stranded at Seme due to the partial closure of the border. This is according to the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA).
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The Chairman of ANLCA, Seme Border Chapter, Bisiriyu Fanu stated that the stranded goods belonged to genuine importers who had paid government duties but got stuck by the partial border closure.
“At present, we have over 500 trucks loaded with goods parked at the border post due to the partial closure and this is telling much on our economy.
“These importers have paid their duties to the government and were expected to take their goods through the border when their trucks got stuck by the government policy on closure of land borders,” he said.
Impact of the closure: According to Fanu, the partial border closure was impacting the nation’s economy negatively. He spoke about the fact that markets which had people from neighbouring countries patronizing are no more doing so because of the unavailability of the goods.
Fanu said that the border closure was affecting so many people especially the traders who have their goods at the border wasting away. Fanu also went on to appeal to the government to release the trucks so that the importers would have access to their goods.
Nairametrics reported when Nigeria’s borders in two regions were shut down at the instance of a directive from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), owing to the state of insecurity in the country.
The Seme Border, which is the busiest border between Nigeria and the Benin Republic, was one of the borders partially shut down by President Muhammadu Buhari to restrict the importation of rice into Nigeria.
[READ ALSO: Household Survey: Traders exploit border closure to raise food prices]
The border closure code-named ‘Ex-Swift Response’ commenced on August 19 and was being jointly conducted by the customs, immigration, police and military personnel.
