The Tsamiya Dry Port has opened a Trade office in Kano State with the goal of facilitating the clearance of goods and enhancing trade in the country. Chief Commissioner of the Nigeria Custom Service, Bashir Adeniyi, officiated at the commissioning event, which took place at the new office at No. ‘A’ Magaji Rumfa Road, GRA, Kano, alongside executives of Benin Republic. Adeniyi, who was represented at the event by the Zone B comptroller ACG Sambo Dangaladima, pointed out that the occasion represents a significant milestone in the reopening of the Segbana-Tsamiya border in Kebbi State.
Establishment of the new office, it is expected to streamline commercial dealings, eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks and improve economic relations between Nigeria and Benin. It also involves plans to build an Export terminal which will aid exports from the area and support the goals of Food Security and Economic Development set forward by the federal government. During his speech, Col. Idriso Imorou, the director of the Corporation of Customs in Benin, stated that the Customs department in Benin will make sure that goods entering the country through the Tsamiya border are directed safely and cleared up to the border without any needless delays.
Traders benefit short travel of 800 km instead of 1,400 km.
He emphasized that a flawless commercial transaction requires friendly collaboration between the customs of both nations. Furthermore, he urged the presidents of Nigeria and Benin to lessen the Tax burden on commodities in order to minimize the impact on the general populace and promote social economic progress. The Tsamiya Dry Port, which is situated in Kebbi State at the Segbana-Tsamiya border between Nigeria and Benin, is expected to develop and gain prominence as a hub for customs clearance of goods imported via the Cotonou Port.
Under this new arrangement, traders would enjoy the benefit of short travel of roughly 800 kilometers instead of 1,400 kilometers from Cotonou to Kano through the Segbana-Tsamiya border. This initiative supports local industries and benefits imports by being in accordance with government objectives to improve trade facilitation and streamline corporate operations. It is anticipated that the dry port will be essential in guaranteeing that goods adhere to legal requirements and will also ensure closer economic connections among the region’s nations.
Both countries’ customs have been actively engaged.
Customs officials from Nigeria and Benin lauded the initiative as a major step forward in streamlining trade procedures and promoting the economic relationship between the two countries. Prior to this, both countries’ customs departments have been actively engaged in talks to revive the border crossing between Tsamiya in Nigeria and Anguwar Sule Wara in the Benin Republic through the Construction of new infrastructure. The latest event is a direct outcome of the bilateral discussions that both nations had earlier in May 2024 to promote regional integration and free trade.
Furthermore, the two countries’ Foreign Affairs ministers met in the strategically vital border town of Anguwar Sule Wara, Benin, and held discussions about Infrastructure development, particularly reviving the border crossing between Tsamiya, Nigeria, and Anguwar Sule Wara, Benin. The decision to establish a single-entry declaration form for border crossings, streamlining procedures and promoting regional integration, was a noteworthy result of these negotiations. To further improve social and economic ties and expedite trade, the nations also intend to set up cooperative border agency inspections.
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This encounter signaled the start of a new chapter in the two nations’ trade relations after former President Muhammadu Buhari issued an order closing Nigeria’s border with Benin and preventing all imports in 2019. Trade volume between Nigeria and the Benin Republic totaled about $210.4 million in 2022, encompassing both imports and exports. The value of Benin’s exports to Nigeria was $15.4 million, while the value of Nigeria’s exports to Benin was $195 million. With the introduction of more trade facilitation measures this year, trade volumes between the two countries are anticipated to rise.