The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Niger Republic Customs Administration have launched renewed efforts to unlock transit bottlenecks and strengthen cross-border trade and security. The initiative comes after President Bola Tinubu approved the provision of safe corridors and safe passage for trucks awaiting clearance to the Republic of Niger.
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a high-level bilateral meeting with Niger Customs Director-General, Muhammadu Yaqouba, at Customs House, Maitama, Abuja. Adeniyi said the measure is aimed at facilitating the swift movement of transit cargo, particularly goods from Apapa ports and Nigerian airports, while safeguarding national security and economic interests.
“Transit cargoes will now be processed and moved within 48 hours. Strict measures are in place to prevent diversion of goods, and sanctions await operators who violate transit regulations,” Adeniyi said. He added that non-compliance by a few economic operators creates non-tariff barriers and undermines trust, stressing the Service’s determination to streamline documentation and remove bottlenecks along corridors such as Illela–Sokoto–Kamba–Niger Republic and routes connecting Apapa ports and airports to neighbouring countries.
CGC Adeniyi also congratulated DG Yaqouba on his appointment, noting the long history of cooperation between the two Customs administrations through World Customs Organisation platforms and bilateral engagements. “Our commitment to facilitating trade for landlocked neighbours, including Niger, remains unwavering, as trade, security, and regional stability are interconnected,” he said.
DG Yaqouba described the visit as a working engagement between two professional Customs administrations facing shared challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and prolonged transit blockages from the Republic of Benin. He highlighted Niger’s Operation Saran Kasa, launched in 2024, which deploys scanners to inspect all incoming goods, as part of the country’s fight against terrorism and cross-border criminality.
Major-General Garba Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), also spoke at the meeting, extending condolences over a recent terrorist attack near Niamey Airport and emphasizing the deep cultural, familial, and historical ties between Nigeria and Niger. He advocated reviving bilateral security frameworks, including cross-border right-of-pursuit arrangements and joint operations, expressing confidence that the meeting’s outcomes would translate into concrete action.
The engagement mark a new phase in Nigeria–Niger Customs cooperation, aimed at reducing operational costs, increasing trade volumes, and making the corridor more attractive to transport operators.
