The Badagry Chambers of Commerce Industry Mine and Agriculture (BACCIMA) has urged the Federal Government to reverse its policy on total ban on fairly used vehicles known as “Tokunbo”, coming through land borders.
The President of the chamber, Alhaji Fatai Shokunbi, made the call during a courtesy visit of his team to the new Controller of Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, Comptroller Dera Nandi, in his office in Badagry on Tuesday.
Shokunbi said that since the reopening of Sème border, business activities had slowed down due to unfavourable policies of the government in the corridor.
The president said that many agents and young men within Sème and Badagry had been rendered jobless by the policy.
He appealed to government to fully open the land borders for fairly used vehicles to allow businesses to flow and prosper for the benefit of Nigerians.
Shokunbi, however, said that the aim of the visit was to improve the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria Customs Service and the chamber.
“This is to strengthen our common goals of improving the business climate in Badagry and to bring about mutual coexistence of stakeholders under an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
“Our solid relationship with your predecessor yielded so many fruits and we are looking forward to having a better and more cordial and rewarding relationship with you,” he said.
Also speaking, Alhaji Idris Yahaya, the First Deputy President, Badagry Chamber said it was a nonprofit organisation established for the promotion and protection of trade and industry.
According to him, the chamber’s juridiction is from Sème border to Ajeromi Ifelodun in central Lagos.
Yahaya urged the government to officially flag off the long awaited Badagry Deep Seaport project approved by the government since August 2022.
He said BACCIMA had been championing the formalisation of informal trade with the Small Scale Informal Cross Border Trade projects in order to enhance economic and cultural integration of the two countries.
Responding, Comptroller Nandi urged the chamber to encourage the stakeholders to ensure it formalised the informal trade at the border so as to give their business a human face.
According to Nnadi, a common identified format for traders across the border frontier needs to be created to alleviate the suffering of the people.
He said that this initiative would reduce smuggling, aid revenue generations and stop the problem of multiple passport stamp already creating confusion for the immigration officers at the border corridor.
“Seme border is the foremost border in the entire west African region.
“The Chamber should ensure a cultural diplomacy amongst the community and the business neighbors.
“I want members of the chamber to take advantage of businesses and trade opportunities at the border environs,” he said.
Source – NAN