The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other development partners, has intensified efforts to strengthen cross-border trade through a film screening and dialogue session held in Badagry, Lagos State.
The programme, themed “Trade Now: Empowering Cross-Border Traders through the Trade Information Desk (TID)”, brought together regulators, border officials, development partners and traders to deepen awareness on trade facilitation mechanisms and improve legitimate trade along the Seme-Krake corridor.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, the Executive Secretary of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the initiative would stimulate border trade at Seme-Krake and significantly increase the volume of legitimate commercial activities.
Akutah commended GIZ and the ECOWAS Commission for their strategic collaboration in organising the event, noting their sustained efforts at simplifying cross-border business operations, particularly at the Seme Border.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Director of Consumer Affairs Department, NSC, Mrs. Ify Okolue, described the Trade Information Desk, widely known across West Africa as the Border Information Centre (BIC)—as a practical instrument designed to improve transparency and efficiency in cross-border trade.
“The BIC serves as a structured platform for transparency, guidance and dispute resolution. It provides traders with accurate information on tariffs, documentation requirements, import and export procedures, standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and other regulatory obligations”, she said.
According to her, by addressing information gaps, the centres help reduce delays, lower trade costs and support trade formalisation and competitiveness, especially for small-scale traders, women and youth who form a significant proportion of cross-border economic actors.
Okolue disclosed that BICs are currently operational at Seme-Krake, Jibia-Maradi, Illela-Birnin Koni and Mfum-Nkot borders, while the Idiroko BIC is expected to become operational before the end of the second quarter of 2026.
She explained that the initiative aligns with the Council’s statutory mandate as Nigeria’s Port Economic Regulator, which extends beyond seaports to inland corridors and border posts where logistics performance directly impacts trade outcomes.
Beyond the BICs, she highlighted complementary interventions by the Council, including the promotion of Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) at Kaduna, Dala and Funtua to bring shipping services closer to shippers and facilitate transit trade to land-linked neighbouring countries such as Niger, Chad and Mali.
She also referenced the establishment of Vehicle Transit Areas (VTAs) to improve safety and efficiency along trade corridors, as well as complaints handling and dispute resolution mechanisms accessible physically at NSC offices and online via its portal.
The NSC urged traders, particularly women and youth, to utilise the centres to enhance transparency, compliance and regional trade efficiency.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Trade, ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Kolawole Sofola, represented by Mrs. Sarah Okporufe, stressed the need for regular sensitisation campaigns to educate traders on proper documentation processes, dispute resolution procedures and best trade practices at the Seme Border.
The ECOWAS team noted that many traders along the Seme corridor are not fully leveraging the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), which allows goods originating within the subregion to be exported or imported without customs tariffs.
“Another right that traders have is that as soon as they have a valid passport, they can move to any ECOWAS country to reside or transact business.
“There is also a process to obtain a biometric ECOWAS identity card, which we expect Nigeria to adopt to enable traders and residents enjoy improved access for business and other purposes”, the ECOWAS representative stated.
On his part, the Customs Area Controller, Seme Border Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, who represented the Comptroller General of the NCS, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi, assured stakeholders that legitimate imports and exports through the Seme Border would be processed within a maximum of 40 hours.
He reiterated that trade facilitation remains a core philosophy of the NCS under the leadership of the Comptroller General, pledging continuous support to ensure a seamless corridor for legitimate trade.
“At Seme Customs, we will give you adequate information and adequate support. We want traders and border residents to engage in legitimate trade.
“We don’t tolerate illegitimate trade. We have engaged with our counterparts in Seme as well as other security agencies to ensure a seamless corridor for trade”, he said.
The event featured the screening of a bilingual film in Yoruba and English, highlighting the concerns of traders and their expectations from regulatory agencies along the Seme Border corridor. The documentary served as both an advocacy tool and an awareness platform on the availability and benefits of the Trade Information Desk.
Stakeholders at the session reaffirmed their commitment to building transparent, efficient and predictable border systems that support inclusive economic growth and regional integration within the ECOWAS subregion.