The Ports Authority of Cotonou, Republic of Benin, has inaugurated a clearing office in Kano to streamline business operations and enhance trade between Nigeria and Benin.
Both countries are set to sign an agreement allowing goods imported through the Cotonou Port to be cleared at the Tsamiya Border, a dry port located in Kebbi State.
The Tsamiya Inland Port, situated on the Segbana-Tsamiya Nigeria-Benin border, will serve as a key point for the clearance of goods, ensuring strict compliance with customs regulations in both nations.
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, represented by Sambo Khaliel Dangaladina, the Assistant Comptroller General and Coordinator of Federal Operations, Zone B, said opening the office in Kano - a major commercial hub - aimed to enhance trade facilitation.
He said, "The establishment of this trade office in Kano, a significant centre of commerce, underscores Kano's vital role in streamlining business processes in the region.
"This includes the creation of an export terminal to support local industries and aligns with the federal government's broader objectives of addressing food security and strengthening economic ties within Nigeria and across its borders."
Representing the Beninese Customs Comptroller General, Imorou Idrissou, Director of Cooperation of Customs of Benin, praised the presidents of both countries for their efforts in the initiative, noting that the Beninese president had been committed to trade facilitation since taking office.
He emphasised that the development would bring significant relief to importers.
Alhaji Danbature Abdulaziz, President of the National Harmonised Traders Union, expressed the traders' appreciation for the reopening of the border.
He noted that the distance from Cotonou to Kano, previously about 1,400 kilometres, would now be reduced to approximately 800 kilometres through the Segbana-Tsamiya border in Kebbi State.
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