Stakeholders Urge Customs Boss Adeniyi to Lift 9-Year Seme Border Vehicle Import Ban Before Exit
Maritime operators and bonded terminal owners are calling on Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi to review and lift the nine-year ban on vehicle imports through Nigeria’s land borders before he leaves office, arguing the policy has failed to curb smuggling and has cost the economy billions in lost revenue.
The appeal was made by Alhaji Adetona Mubashiru, Chairman and CEO of Only God is Wise Nig. Ltd, who said the ban imposed in January 2017 has worsened hardship, pushed trade to illegal routes, and hurt thousands of jobs at border communities like Seme.
The 2017 Ban and Its Rationale
On 5 December 2016, then National Public Relations Officer of Customs Adewale Adeniyi announced that the Federal Government had banned the importation of all new and used vehicles through land borders. The directive, issued on behalf of then CGC Col. Hameed Ali Rtd, took effect from 1 January 2017 and restricted vehicle imports to seaports only.
At the time, Customs said the move was to address weak controls and widespread fake documentation at land borders. Col. Ali later told stakeholders that the government might reconsider if a bilateral electronic connectivity system with Benin Republic was successfully implemented to track cargo movements in real time.
‘The Policy Created More Problems Than It Solved’
Mubashiru said nine years later, the ban has not achieved its purpose. Instead of stopping smuggling or boosting local auto manufacturing, he said it pushed vehicle trade to hundreds of unapproved bush paths that are harder to police.
“Rather than stopping illegal imports, the ban pushed the trade to hundreds of unapproved, porous bush paths. The Nigeria Customs Service faced immense difficulties policing these illegal routes,” he said.
He added that forcing imports through congested seaports like Lagos led to revenue losses, as traders diverted cargo to neighboring countries. Key borders such as Seme, he argued, should be reopened for vehicle transit to recover lost duties.
Infrastructure Now in Place
Mubashiru noted that before the ban, a bilateral agreement under former CGC Abdullahi Dikko Inde allowed transit vehicles from Cotonou Port to be escorted to Seme and handed over to Customs at the Vehicle Seat. The main challenge then was limited parking space.
“That problem has been solved. The Seme command has since developed a terminal that can conveniently accommodate more than a thousand vehicles,” he said.
He urged the current leadership to revisit the policy, citing World Trade Organization rules that require trade restrictions to be subject to consultation and transparency with stakeholders.
Economic and Social Cost
The bonded terminal operator said the ban has hit artisans and youth who depend on the vehicle trade. Panel beaters, rewires, mechanics, painters, drivers, and loaders at Seme have lost income, he said, pushing some into unemployment.
“Vehicle importation through the land border created employment opportunities for many youths who are now on the streets causing trouble. These youths come to Seme daily and do auxiliary jobs, then return home with money to take care of their families,” Mubashiru said.
Major car dealers, speaking anonymously, also criticized the policy, saying it protects a small segment of the auto industry that claims to manufacture cars locally but does not, while raising costs for ordinary Nigerians.
Mubashiru said stakeholders, including the National Assembly, opposed the ban in 2017, but it remained in place under the Buhari administration. He said CGC Adeniyi’s frequent visits to Seme have raised hopes that a bilateral agreement to lift the ban is possible.
“CGC Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD, you came, you saw and you have conquered. Your numerous visits to Seme border have elevated the spirit of critical stakeholders that a bilateral agreement on lifting the ban would take place,” he said.
With electronic connectivity now operational and infrastructure upgraded at Seme, operators say the timing is right for government to revisit the policy and restore legal vehicle imports through the land border.
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