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Ph:DR:Directors General Bachir Adewale ADENIYI of Nigeria and Alain HINKATI of Benin at a press briefing
A new era is dawning for Customs Cooperation between Nigeria and Benin for the happiness of both peoples. Extension of the economic cooperation initiated by Presidents Patrice TALON and Bola Ahmed TINUBU, the Director General of Customs of Nigeria, Mr. Bachir Adéwale ADENIYI, at the head of a strong delegation made a working visit to Benin on Monday July 24, 2023 . The objective of this trip is to revitalize trade between the two countries and to define a common strategy to fight effectively against fraud.
After the military honours, the Directors General Bachir Adewale ADENIYI of Nigeria and Alain HINKATI of Benin had a tete-a-tete during which they paid tribute to the enlightened and very active leadership of Presidents Patrice TALON and Bola Ahmed TINUBU.
The two delegations then paid a visit to Customs partners, namely Webb Fontaine and Benin Control. In these structures, they were treated to presentations on the reforms implemented and the results obtained effectively. The working session at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou followed by the visit to its customs facilities enabled the Nigerian delegation to be better informed about the Port development project and the new port information system. The two General Managers then co-chaired a meeting with economic operators and approved customs commissioners.
Finally, the Minister of State in charge of Economy and Finance, Mr. Romuald WADAGNI, honored the Nigerian delegation by chairing the summary session. During the latter, the Minister of State transmitted the message of the President of the Republic of Benin, Mr. Patrice TALON, thus reflecting the desire of the two Heads of State to initiate a new turning point marked by close collaboration in all domains.
It is within this framework that all the diligence envisaged by the two customs administrations with a view to the fluidity of transit operations, the facilitation of trade, the harmonization of procedures, the encouragement of trade between economic operators and the fight against customs fraud.
During the press conference hosted by the two parties, the two customs administrations undertake to spare no effort to implement the guidelines set by the authorities of the two countries and the improvement measures adopted, namely:
– the continuation of efforts to promote the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme, and the facilitation of the movement of goods and community products in particular;
– reciprocal facilitation of the issuance of the “LAISSER-PASSER” for a short stay in one of the countries of the means of transport registered in the other country;
– the removal of barriers and other obstacles to legal trade and the establishment of customs units when the traffic justifies it;
– strict compliance with the rules relating to transit;
– harmonization of the list of products prohibited by the two countries;
– the rapid integration of Nigeria into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) which already includes the Customs administrations of Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Niger, Senegal and Togo;
– strengthening the fight against cross-border crime through cooperation, intelligence sharing and the pooling of resources;
– the holding of half-yearly meetings to discuss matters of common interest;
– the reactivation of the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations;
– the revival of the consultation frameworks of border customs units with the active participation of the private sector;
– the promotion of good relations with border populations, professionalism, and tax compliance;
– securing the international supply chain.
Faced with all these measures aimed at revitalizing trade ties and strengthening customs cooperation between the two countries, the two administrations are committed to continuing the steps to achieve the objectives.
The Director General of Nigeria Customs has invited his counterpart from Benin, Mr. Alain HINKATI to make an official working visit to Nigeria to follow up on the conclusions, indicates the joint press release signed by the two parties.
