N130bn Goods Trapped Since Border Closure – Importers

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), on Monday, said goods worth N130 billion belonging to the private sector were trapped since August 2019 when the land border closure began.

However, ANLCA said it has received the Government’s assurance to consider reopening the land border.

The National President of ANLCA, Iju Tony Nwabunike, in a statement, said: “It was observed as an issue of utmost concern that cargoes on transit and mobile assets like trucks laden with goods worth over N130bn belonging to private business people were trapped since August 18, 2019 when the borders were shut under a joint operation, codenamed “Exercise Swift Response”.

He said most of the goods with perishable timelines have either been destroyed due to expiry periods or damaged while exposed to unfavourable elements.

The association also said the land border reopening is to ensure that the Nigerian business community maximizes the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which would begin January 2021.

“The association therefore secured the assurances of the Federal Government on the need to effect gradual reopening of the closed borders with particular focus on rules of origin to prevent abuses of incentives like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).