Since the region’s borders were closed due to the ongoing crisis in the Niger Republic, traders in the north have complained that they have lost roughly N13 billion.
Remember that on August 4, 2023, President Bola Tinubu issued an order to close all borders with the Niger Republic in response to the ECOWAS sanction.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has closed the borders of Jibiya in Katsina state, Illelah in Sokoto, and Maigatari in Jigawa as per the president’s directive.
Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata, the chairman of the Arewa Economic Forum, said during a press conference on Sunday in Abuja that the closure of the borders is making it impossible for traders to import their goods.
Traders in the North have lost N13 billion since the Nigeran borders were closed, according to Dandakata, who claimed that the effects of the border closure have been severe.
Therefore, he advised the Nigerian government to permit traders to enter the nation by opening the maje-illo border in Kebbi.
He said: “Since the order by the President to close all the borders with Niger Republic following the announcement of the coup, the consequences have been huge. Northern traders lost N13bn weekly.
“Trade between Niger and Nigeria is usually informal, especially in perishable goods, and only last year alone, it is estimated at about N177bn in goods and services like livestock and food items.
“Therefore, further closure of the border will be detrimental to the huge trade going on between these two countries.
“We hereby appeal to President Tinubu to open the maje-illo border in Kebbi state to enable traders to bring in their goods into the country and empower customs to collect import duty thereafter
Also speaking, a trader and member of the forum, Hamza Saleh Jibiya, said about 2,000 containers laden with perishable and non-perishable goods have been trapped and cannot be cleared due to the closure.
He added: “The average value of a container is between $20,000 to $70,000, which in our estimation will be about N140bn trapped in those containers.
“The alternative which we appeal now is for the federal government to open the maje-illo border in Kebbi to enable us to remain in business.”
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