Stakeholders Call for Review of Vehicle Import Ban at Seme Border
Stakeholders in the freight forwarding industry at the Seme Border have urged the Federal Government to review the ban on imported vehicles through the border, describing the policy as counterproductive. The stakeholders, led by freight forwarding practitioner Don Tino Celestine Esezobor, argued that nearly a decade after the ban was imposed in December 2016, the policy has led to significant job losses, revenue decline, and economic hardship for operators at the border, while failing to stop the influx of imported vehicles into the country.
Negative Impact of the Ban
The Federal Government prohibited vehicle importation through Nigeria's land borders, including the Seme Border, on December 31, 2016, as part of measures to curb smuggling and boost revenue collection through seaports. However, the stakeholders said the policy has negatively affected hundreds of freight forwarding agents and support workers who depended on vehicle clearance operations for their livelihoods. According to them, more than 150 freight forwarding practitioners have died since the implementation of the policy, while many others suffered severe financial losses from office closures, unpaid rents, theft, depreciation of assets, and business collapse.
Revenue Loss and Economic Hardship
Speaking on behalf of the group, Esezobor said the continued closure of the vehicle import corridor has deprived the government of substantial revenue that could have been generated through legitimate importation channels. He noted that before the ban, vehicle importation accounted for over 51 percent of total revenue generated at the Seme Border. The stakeholders urged the government to leverage the existing bonded terminal at the border, popularly known as the "Only God Is Wise" Bonded Terminal, to facilitate legal vehicle imports while ensuring effective monitoring and revenue collection. According to them, the bonded terminal can accommodate more than 500 vehicles at a time and provides a transparent platform for customs authorities to monitor imported vehicles and collect appropriate duties.
ECOWAS Protocols and Smuggling Concerns
They explained that vehicles arriving from the Port of Cotonou in the Republic of Benin are usually escorted by Beninese Customs officials and handed over to their Nigerian counterparts with the required documentation under existing ECOWAS protocols. The group maintained that reopening the vehicle import seat at Seme Border would significantly boost government revenue, revive economic activities within the border community, and create thousands of jobs for freight forwarders, drivers, secretaries, customs processing personnel, and other support service providers. Beyond economic concerns, the stakeholders drew attention to what they described as the unintended consequences of the ban, particularly the persistence of vehicle smuggling through illegal routes. They argued that despite the prohibition, imported vehicles continue to enter Nigeria through unauthorized channels on a daily basis. "Have the vehicles stopped entering the country through the land borders since the inception of the ban? The candid answer is capital NO," the stakeholders stated.
Smuggling and Customs Risks
According to them, investigations have revealed that both used and brand-new vehicles are still being smuggled into the country through illegal routes, resulting in substantial revenue losses for the government. They further expressed concern over the dangers faced by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in anti-smuggling operations. The stakeholders alleged that Customs personnel frequently risk their lives while attempting to intercept smugglers, with some officers reportedly being knocked down by fleeing vehicles or attacked for daring to challenge smuggling syndicates. They maintained that reversing the ban would reduce the incentive for smugglers to use dangerous illegal routes and encourage importers to pay appropriate duties through regulated channels.
Call for Policy Reversal
According to the group, many importers are willing to comply with customs regulations but avoid the seaports because of persistent congestion, delays, and inefficiencies associated with port operations. They also argued that smuggling remains a global challenge that can only be managed rather than completely eliminated, adding that inconsistent government policies sometimes encourage illegal trade activities. The stakeholders therefore appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider the policy and reopen the vehicle import corridor through Seme Border under a regulated bonded terminal arrangement.
