Border closure: Nigeria should review ECOWAS protocol ― Bello

THE Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello has described Nigeria as a victim of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) protocol instead of being a beneficiary, following the closure of her land borders. This is even as the NSC Boss called for a review of most of these sub-regional protocols.

Bello made this disclosure over the weekend in Lagos during a stakeholders meeting to proffer solution on the way forward regarding the border closure.

He said there is a need for the ECOWAS protocol to be reviewed adding that Nigeria has the poorest economy in Africa.

“Remember that the Federal Government just signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). We have to review this protocol because Nigeria seems to be a victim rather than beneficiaries.

“The economy in Nigeria is defeated. We have the poorest economy in Africa and so there are certain things we just allow to happen when we should not,” Bello said.

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He reiterated that the council is in support of the steps taken by the Federal Government even as he beckoned on the stakeholders to do the same.

“It is our duty to support what Customs is doing and it is also our duty to proffer solutions. Our concerns are in the aspect of trading because the Nigerian Shippers Council is a trade facilitator just like the customs.

“So we have been involved in the management of the corridor, the Lagos-Abidjan corridor. We have a presence at the Seme border, so we know all the issues going on. We know how we have been taken advantage of and we are in support of what is going on,” the NSC Boss added.

While explaining further, Bello said that the partial closure of land borders has become a Federal Government policy even as he added that it is not a permanent thing.

He said that for a long time now, Nigeria has been turned into a dust bin by her neighbours due to many sub-regional protocols.

“For a long time, Nigeria has been taking things lightly because we are often called ‘big brother’, while at the same time, turned into a dustbin where everything is dumped.

“The reality affecting us now is that the source of revenue which is oil is no longer sustainable and it has also been discovered that there is a need for serious diversification.

“We are more concerned about what is happening at the ports after the partial closure of the land borders. The idea is for us to come and brainstorm on what is happening at the ports and make suggestions on how best to go about them,” the NSC Boss stated.

He admitted that the closure has caused some pain, even as he advised that there is no gain without pain.

“You will agree with me that this has caused some pains, but the pain is also necessary because there is no gain without pain. It has been said that some famers are smiling to the bank while others are saying that some goods are trapped at the borders.

“So everybody is coming from their own perspective. The duty of the Shippers Council is to look at the global picture and see that by next year February or March when things are normalised, what can we put in place? what can the government also put in place? We have no choice than to support the Federal Government on border closure because the government is looking at a way of improving international trade.

“There are laws to international trade. One cannot just open its border and tell it’s neighbour’s to come and do whatever they want to do. What happens at the border will have an effect on the economy of this country. It will also have an effect on jobs amongst others.

“Imagining that the Benin Republic, for example, is the highest importer of rice with just 11 million people, then we should know something is wrong somewhere.”

“Nigeria is a nation of laws. We respect agreement and treaties because nobody has taken us to an international trade court to say we have violated any trade agreement. However, If we keep allowing all these, it means that all the money we spent on Anchor borrowing on rice production will be a waste.”

Also speaking, The Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Kayode Farinto said that the closure of border without ports being accessible would have a negative effect on the country.

He called on the need for the country to take data of what happened before, during and after border closure, so as to plan on the way forward.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman Ports Consultative Council (PCC) Otunba Kunle Folarin stated that there should be compliance to trade protocol.

“Nigeria is signatory up to 13-protocol and treaties on so many subjects but unfortunately they are not complying to it.

“The country must also strike trade alliances with counterparts in other countries to help boost our international trade,” the PCC Chairman stated.