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By Steve Agbota
Traders have lamented 57 checkpoints on the Mile 2-Seme expressway of the Lagos and Abidjan corridor, making intra-African trade difficult.
This is even as more than 400 trade obstacles have been identified along the corridor. The traders said that between Mile 2- Seme/Krake routes and Abidjan axis, there are 57 checkpoints mounted legally and illegally, which have continued to cause delay in moving both export and import goods.
Speaking with Daily Sun, a shipper, Mr. Sunday Olokun said that the unwarranted checkpoints are impeding trade facilitation along the corridor, adding that illegal fees and other bottlenecks created by human factors are responsible for high cost of goods imported into the country through this axis.
He revealed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is aware of the existence of the checkpoints after its officials took a trip from Mile 2 to Badagry last year and that all efforts to dismantle or reduce these checkpoints have not yielded positive results.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of Association of Nigerian Licensed and Clearing Agents (ANLCA) Lasisi Bisriyu, confirmed this to Daily Sun, saying it will definitely affect cost of goods, because whatever a trader spends on their cargo would have to be factored in and the cost would be transfered to the end user.
He said the multiple checkpoints delay their goods not getting to their destination on time which in turn affects trade, causing the consumer to pay more for the goods.
However, a trader, Ebenezer Ike urged the Federal Government to take proactive measures and address the challenges of multiple checkpoints and trade barriers impeding trade facilitation within the corridor, adding that many shippers are no longer in business due to the challenges frustrating their business.
According to him, there are so many trade barriers which include lengthy clearing terms, transit checkpoints with unwarranted delays, harassment, exorbitant illegal fees and demands for bribes has with far-reaching consequences.
He said all these challenges have to be addressed by ECOWAS community especially now that almost African countries have signed into Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
Meanwhile, the ANLCA chairman, Seme border, multiple checkpoints along the corridor have become a tradition due to corruption that has eaten deep into the system.
“From Mile 2 to Seme, you see a lot of checkpoints illegally mounted. Embarrassing checkpoints. The only thing that they will not give you to bring money is ATM machine. Police will stop you and you can talk from now till next year, they don’t care.
“ The most annoying part of it is immigration. You will see nothing less than 30 checkpoints of immigration. What is immigration doing in the town molesting Nigerians. Nigerians are living in Badagry and their village. People are living in Seme border. You can’t go out and come back without being molest as a Nigerian.
“They will molest you and ask you to come down from the vehicle and asking you funny questions. From Seme to Ivory Coast, you don’t see less than five checkpoints. It has even reduced to three because of ACfTA. From Mile 2 to Badagry, you will see extortion and you will pity Nigeria. Tinubu said he is fighting corruption but there corruption everywhere. They are even increasing the checkpoints. Army and Police are even the worst,” he said.
