Fixing Northern Economy
Can Solve Major Challenges in Nigeria – Customs Boss
The Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has emphasised the importance of supporting the efforts of stakeholders to ensure the northern part of the country returns to its pride of place in Nigeria in terms of trade, commerce, agriculture, solid minerals and so on.
Speaking while receiving the leaders of the Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Tuesday, the Customs boss said the northern part of the country is too important to be left to rot with ravaging insecurity, poverty and youth unemployment.
The Customs CG noted that the northern part of the country has the potential in terms of land and people to do better than this, adding that if the North is made to live up to expectation, it will rub off on the entire country.
He vowed to support the vision of the Forum in focusing on trade as a way of helping to develop the North and ensuring lasting and enduring peace in the region.
He admitted that cross-border trade is at the heart of the northern economy and the Customs will do its best to support it even in the face of challenges caused by the military coup in Niger Republic, noting that “we intend to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
“We must get cross-border trade right because the North lives on it. There is a nexus between trade and development. If wll get trade right, the jobs will be there for our teeming youths and there will be peace. When there is prosperity, there will be peace and there will be little or no insecurity,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of AEF commended Mr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for going round the northern border communities to check up on their plight in view of the consequences of political developments in Niger Republic.
The Forum had few weeks ago addressed a world press conference to call on subregional leaders not to take military action against Niger and also drew the attention of the authorities to the suffering of the masses around the borders which was caused by sanctions the Nigerian government placed on the military junta on Niger.
The Customs boss had taken it upon himself to go round the communities to offer succour to the people.
Dandakata called on the management of the Service to support the growth of the Northern economy by helping to boost cross border trade.
The Forum also urged the Service to bring back the inland ports which had over the years facilitated the growth of cross border trade in the country.
Other members of the Forum in attendance were Abdullahi Maiunguwa, a former Director of Allocation at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Safiya Muhammad Adamu an academic and former Chairperson of Leadership Editorial Board and Abdullahi Bomai, a former Director at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) among others.
