By MARTHA AGAS

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deepened bilateral ties with the Niger Republic Customs Administration to strengthen cross-border security cooperation against insurgency.

This followed a high-level bilateral meeting between the NCS, led by its Comptroller-General (C-G) Bashir Adeniyi, and the Niger Republic Customs Administration, led by Director-General Muhammadu Yaqouba, on Friday at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the bilateral engagement aims to strengthen cooperation on the movement of transit goods bound for Niger through Nigeria and to improve information sharing between the two countries.

It also seeks to address security challenges along their shared borders, reduce delays along key transit corridors and ensure that legitimate trade contributes optimally to economic growth in both countries.

Speaking at the meeting, Adeniyi reaffirmed the service’s commitment to strengthening cross-border security cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Niger, regional trade facilitation and safeguarding transit cargo.

He said that operational challenges usually force landlocked nations to rely on neighbouring ports, increasing costs and affecting competitiveness, and assured Niger of the service’s continued support.

“The NCS has over the years remained committed to facilitating trade for our landlocked neighbours, including the Republic of Niger.

“This commitment will be sustained, irrespective of political differences, because trade, security and regional stability are interconnected.” he said.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu had approved the provision of safe corridors and passages to ease the movement of loaded trucks awaiting clearance, as part of efforts to address concerns around transit bottlenecks.

He said cargoes from Apapa ports and Nigerian airports bound for neighbouring countries would still be processed and moved within 48 hours without compromising security or economic interests

The C-G, however, warned that strict measures had been put in place to prevent the diversion of transit cargo, warning that economic operators who violate transit regulations would face stiff sanctions.

“Non-compliance by a few operators creates non-tariff barriers and undermines trust.

“We are determined to ensure compliance, streamline documentation and remove avoidable bottlenecks along major corridors such as Illela–Sokoto–Kamba–Niger Republic, as well as routes linking Apapa ports and airports to neighbouring countries.” he said.

He said the engagement marked a renewed phase of cooperation, with follow-up actions to streamline operations, cut costs, boost trade, and make the corridor more attractive to transport operators.

He congratulated the Director-General of Niger Republic Customs on his appointment and assured him of continued cooperation with the sister agency in Niger.

Speaking earlier, Yaqoub said that the visit was aimed at addressing the prolonged blockage of trucks transiting from the Republic of Benin to Niger Republic, as well as to address security concerns in the region.

“We face common security challenges, particularly terrorism and banditry, and we believe that engagements like this provide an opportunity to find lasting solutions through cooperation and coordination,” he said.

Also speaking, Maj.-Gen. Garba Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), said that insecurity in any part of the Sahel impacts all countries in the region.

According to him, arms trafficking, drug smuggling and the concealment of ammunition in cargo vehicles remain major threats that require coordinated and sustained action.

Laka urged the revival of bilateral security frameworks such as cross-border right-of-pursuit arrangements, stressing that such mechanisms were essential to effectively combating terrorism and organised crime. (NAN)

• PHOTO: From right, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, and Muhammadu Yaqouba, the Director-General of the Niger Republic Customs Administration, during his visit to the NCS Headquarters on Friday in Abuja. Photo credit: Vanguard

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