The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has hinted that the restriction on vehicle imports through the Seme-Krake border may be lifted if the new Nigeria-Benin Republic bilateral framework succeeds.
Adeniyi spoke on Friday, September 11, 2026, at Seme, Lagos, during the launch of the Joint Nigeria-Benin Republic One-Stop Border Post Assessment.
According to him, the vehicle restriction is part of broader trade challenges that must be addressed through improved cooperation, compliance and interconnectivity between both countries.
He said a functional system would build trust between the two Customs administrations and create the confidence needed to review existing restrictions on legitimate cross-border trade.
Adeniyi’s position followed an appeal by the Seme Chapter Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Toyin Wasiu, who called for the lifting of the vehicle restriction.
Wasiu said lifting the restriction would boost legitimate commercial activities and revive businesses along the Seme corridor.
The Customs CGC, however, stressed that greater trade freedom must be supported by compliance, transparency and mutual trust.
The Director-General of Benin Customs, Col. Raouf Malehhossou Aboudou, pledged his administration’s support for the joint assessment, describing stronger cooperation between both Customs administrations as essential to the Seme-Krake corridor.
The initiative is aimed at reducing trade bottlenecks, improving coordination and creating a more predictable environment for traders and travellers.
For businesses and communities along the corridor, a successful implementation could pave the way for the gradual removal of existing trade restrictions, including the vehicle import ban.
Credit: Spynews
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