West Africa: 'How Over 400 Checkpoints On Seme-Badagry Impede Trade in West Africa'

18 September 2023
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Eugene Agha

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC), Emmanuel Jime, has said the over 400 checkpoints along the Seme-Krake border are affecting trade among countries in the West African region.

He stated this during a sensitisation workshop organised by the NSC, the ECOWAS Commission and the United States Agency for International Development (ECOWAS-USAID) in Lagos at the weekend.

He noted that the barriers not only disrupt the seamless flow of goods but also pose a direct threat to regional integration.

He called on professional groups, businesses, and individuals to embrace the ongoing trade facilitation initiatives in West Africa by using the ECOWAS Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism (TOAM) to eliminate Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) across the sub-region.

Justifying the initiative, the Principal Trade Advisor, ECOWAP-USAID Operational Programme, ECOWAS Commission, Mr Justin Bayili, stressed the need to create a conducive environment for trade facilitation in the region.

The President of the Ikom Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Flora Takim-Ndifon, said TOAM's greatest strength is the knowledge that one could do business legitimately without any fear of hindrance from anybody.

Read the original article on Daily Trust.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2023 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.