Stakeholders at Seme Border Call for Lifting of Vehicle Import Ban, Cite Heavy Human and Economic Toll
Freight forwarders and car dealers operating at the Seme border have urged the Federal Government to reverse the eight-year-old prohibition on vehicle importation through land borders, warning that the policy has caused the deaths of over 150 agents and the collapse of numerous businesses along the corridor.
The stakeholders, led by Celestine Esezobor, said the ban, which took effect on 31 December 2016, had inflicted severe and lasting damage on border communities and legitimate trade operators. In a statement made available on Wednesday, the group described the restriction as a case of “throwing the baby and bath water away,” arguing that it failed to achieve its objectives while triggering widespread economic hardship.
“The shocking death of many freight forwarding agents, about one hundred and fifty plus (150+), the unquantifiable losses in rents, theft, depreciation, and complete closure or destruction of offices, government revenue losses, all these present a compelling urgent need for deep sober reflection and retrospection,” the statement read.
The group maintained that an urgent policy review is needed to prevent further damage and to revive lawful trade activities at the border. They proposed that vehicle importation be resumed under a bonded terminal arrangement, specifically through the “Only God Is Wise” facility, which has the capacity to hold approximately 130 vehicles at a time. Such a system, they said, would allow the Nigeria Customs Service to better monitor imports and collect duties efficiently.
“The Nigeria Customs Service will be able to generate revenue that will surpass the present and even 2015/16 levels before the closure of the vehicle seat. As at 2015/16, the vehicle seat generated 51.12 per cent of the total revenue at Seme border,” the stakeholders said.
They argued that the availability of a bonded terminal would curb smuggling and improve compliance with customs regulations, dismissing fears that reopening the border for vehicle imports would encourage illegal trade. According to the group, smuggling has drastically abated at the Seme border, one of the original justifications for the ban, yet vehicles continue to enter the country illegally through uncharted routes, costing the government significant revenue.
“Have vehicles stopped entering the country through the land border since the inception of the ban? The candid answer is a capital NO. Our investigation has revealed that Tokunbo and brand-new vehicles are actually being smuggled into the country through illegal routes daily, with the government obviously losing a considerable amount of revenue,” the statement noted.
The stakeholders further contended that customs officers are exposed to heightened risks due to confrontations with smugglers who now operate outside official control. They attributed importers’ continued preference for land-border routes to severe congestion and inefficiencies at the nation’s seaports, insisting that importers are willing to pay duties if a functional and accessible entry point is provided.
Beyond revenue, the group stressed that lifting the ban would restore thousands of jobs that have been lost across the freight forwarding value chain, including vehicle sourcing agents, secretaries, drivers, and customs processing personnel. A regulated reopening, they argued, would breathe life back into border communities and offer employment to workers displaced by the years-long restriction.
The stakeholders expressed confidence that the Seme border could regain its economic relevance if the government adopts their recommendations and reopens the vehicle import corridor under a monitored bonded terminal framework.