The Seme land border has been granted approval for reopening by the Federal Government of Nigeria, specifically for the importation of vehicles. This information was disclosed by Ibrahim Musa, the Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, during an ECOWAS meeting between officials from Nigeria and Benin Republic.
Musa explained that the decision to reopen the border came in response to the pleas made by freight forwarders operating at the Seme border, which were conveyed in a memo prepared by the former Minister of State for Transportation and submitted to the government.
Dera Nnadi, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, also expressed concerns over the decline in revenue since the suspension of vehicle importation through land borders by the previous administration. However, Nnadi stated that the former Minister of Transportation had promised to address the stakeholders’ requests, including the full reopening of the border. According to Nnadi, the Ministry informed them that a memo had been written to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which was subsequently adopted and would be presented to the new government.
These developments indicate the forthcoming reopening of the Seme land border for vehicle importation, addressing the concerns raised by stakeholders and aiming to enhance trade activities in the region.
