Following the need for proper inspection of cargo at border stations, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Beninoise Customs have taken delivery of a new cargo scanner donated by the European Union for joint use at the Seme Border station.
Meanwhile, users of port services have called for proper cargo examination at ports and border stations through the adoption of automation and use of standard inspection equipment.
Proper cargo examination by Customs shall enhance the statutory functions of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in quality assurance and fight against illicit drug, port users say.
Mohammed Uba, controller, Seme Area Command of the NCS, who confirmed that the new scanner is already being test-run, said it will be maintained by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for two years.
According to him, officers of the two countries have been trained on how to use the scanner, particularly on how to read images.
However, port users listed the benefits of proper cargo inspection to include safety of trade investments, enhanced revenue collection, trade facilitation, adequate collection of trade statistics, and suppression of smuggling activities.
Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), said recently that the major problem with Nigeria’s port operations is manmade.
He therefore called on the government to ensure that all trade facilitation tools are adequately provided including but not limited to automation tools, good access roads to the ports and borders, trade data and simplification of processes and procedures, as well as adequate equipment for cargo operations at the terminals.
“The most critical is the political will and patriotism on the part of the agencies of government to enforce regulations and trade laws. We must emphasise that government is all about the general wellbeing of the greater numbers and we need to bridge the gap between the people and government,” he added.
He decried the unproductive orders issued by most leaders from their various offices without finding out the exact situation of things.
“Our expectation is that the various agencies of the government assigned to the port shall continue to engage the stakeholders at their various clusters of the organised trade groups in order to increase the productivity level of our ports by moving government closer to the people,” he said.
