Nigeria//Border Closure: Meeting of the Benin-Niger-Nigeria Tripartite Committee on Smuggling

In order to find a solution to the closure of the borders between Nigeria, Niger and Benin, a tripartite meeting mentioned during the extraordinary summit in Niamey on November 8, was held in Abuja on November 14, 2019. This meeting is an initiative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), announced in the press release which sanctioned the work of the sub-regional political meeting which took place in Niamey.

The delegations from Niger and Benin therefore traveled to Abuja to continue consultations with the aim of reaching a solution acceptable to all parties.
It should be recalled that Nigeria has closed its land borders with Niger and Benin since August 2019. According to Abuja, this decision aims to combat rice smuggling. With a view to resolving this crisis linked to border closures, Nigeria is demanding that its two neighbors (Niger and Benin), among others, take strong measures to ensure compliance with standards, particularly with regard to the packaging of this consumer product.

Furthermore, still with a view to real sub-regional integration, subsequent meetings, notably with the Ministers in charge of Trade and Finance of Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Togo under the aegis of the President of Burkina Faso, Champion of the free movement of people and goods, will be organized to consolidate trade between the countries of the sub-region.