In ordering the joint border security campaign via an exercise codenamed “Exercise Swift Response,” and aimed at securing the country’s land and maritime borders, the Federal Government said the closure was necessary to stem the tide of massive smuggling activities taking place along the country’s borders, with foodstuffs, especially frozen food, textile and automobile topping the chart.
Since the exercise commenced, the Federal Government has repeatedly said that smuggling, which is a major industry draining the country of millions of naira daily (having defied several strategies in the past), especially along the Seme border has been given a bloody nose.
Government’s claims notwithstanding, a barrage of criticisms has continued to trail the exercise, with many saying that it has adversely affected Federal Government’s trade commitment to West African countries, as well as threatened the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement.
Critics of the initiative jointly conducted by the Nigeria Custom Services (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army, and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, are also quick to point out that indigenes of border communities, indigenous manufacturers, international travellers, bureau de change operators, cross-border traders and transporters have all been at the receiving end of government’s action.
But the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller (DC) Joseph Attah, in countering this submission earlier, insisted that the exercise has so far been a huge success.“The resolve of Nigerian security agencies to better secure the country’s territorial integrity, particularly land and maritime borders against trans-border security concerns has started yielding positive results from the ongoing joint border security exercise…” he stated, adding that the “exercise, has received appreciable support from members of the public, as well as border community dwellers and other well-meaning Nigerians.
Apart from the increase in revenue announced by the NCS, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has also reported a decrease in the volume of petrol smuggled out of the country. The Comptroller General of NIS, Mohammad Babadende, while also shedding light on the exercise explained that the joint operation apart from saving the country millions of naira daily, was also very effective in controlling the flow of human traffic into the country.
Not long after the Comptroller (Enforcement), Customs Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Victor Dimka, claimed that the border closure had recorded “overwhelming success,” considering its benefits to the nation’s economy and security, while a few strategic objectives were still yet to be achieved, President Muhammadu Buhari approved an extension of the closure to January 31, 2020.
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Since the extension was announced, local manufacturers who serve markets in the West African sub-region and access these markets by land have further traumatised as their losses and logistics challenges continue to mount.
Other than some local manufacturers, lots of petty traders, who transact in perishable consumer items, such as tomatoes, poultry product, rice and other edibles across these borders, have equally been badly hit by the border closure.
The huge losses recorded by these petty traders and manufacturers estimated to be in billions of naira, has been very devastating to these traders, most of whom are Nigerians. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), appreciate the concern of government with regard to security and economic sabotage, which informed the closure in the first place.
But it expresses deep concerns that “the demands of sacrifice imposed on businesses and the citizens is disproportionate and becoming unbearable.”
According to the Director General of (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, “the effect is perhaps more pronounced in the south western part of the country being the financial and commercial hub of the country and the sub-region.”On the specific ways that the border closure has affected local manufacturers who export their products to the (ECOWAS), Yusuf said, “the continued closure has the following unintended consequences.
“Complete shutdown of cross border trade (imports and exports) between Nigerian businesses and their counterparts in the West African sub-region. This has grave consequences on investments and jobs. Many industries have invested in products registered under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). These are investors, whose business models were anchored on market opportunities in the ECOWAS. These investments have been completely disrupted and dislocated.Majority of the victims of the border closure are small businesses, most of them in the informal sector. Their means of livelihood has been put in great jeopardy. This class of traders do not have the capacity to move their products by sea.