It has been discovered that the federal government may have relaxed the restriction on vehicle importation over land borders.
It is anticipated that the development will revitalize the corridor’s economic activities.
The previous administration banned the importation of vehicles along that axis and blocked the land borders between Nigeria and Cotonou, Benin Republic.
However, yesterday Ibrahim Musa, the Director of Road Transport at the Ministry of Transportation, revealed that the federal government has given the go-ahead for the reopening of the Seme border for the importation of vehicles.
He disclosed this at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting, organised between officials of Nigeria and Benin.
Musa said the development followed complaints by freight forwarders operating at the border.
The director stated, “I was here with the former minister of state for transportation when the freight forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services. This was during the ECOWAS Monitoring Team’s visit to the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post.
“The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government.”
Dera Nnadi, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, also added that the service has seen a decline in income since the importation of vehicles was banned from land borders.
Ada Peter
