CROSS BORDER TRADE FACILITATION IS VERY KEY TO ECOWAS ECONOMIC INTEGRATION - NACCIMA President - Badagry Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture

The National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Dr Jani Ibrahim,OON,mni last Monday (21st September 2026)at the NACCIMA office GRA Ikeja received the Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Benin) delegation led by the National Vice President of NACCIMA Alhaji Yahaya Oladiran Idris, who doubled as the President of Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture( BACCIMA).

The President Engr. Jani who was highly elated as he welcomed the delegation to his office, told the delegation that cross border trade facilitation is very key to ECOWAS economic integration.

“I am happy to receive you at NACCIMA which is the umbrella body of all businesses in Nigeria, I am equally happy about your collaborations with Badagry Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture( BACCIMA) on the formalization of Cross Border Trade, I was informed that BACCIMA President and his team were in your office in Cotonou last week . I want to tell you that, Cross border trade is very key to ECOWAS economic integration ” he said.

He stated that all ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme ETLS) rules under the ECOWAS protocols must be obeyed and preferential treatments and opportunities must be enjoyed by the cross border traders and ither compliance travellers.

He posited that between May 18th to 20th this year, for him to have first hand correct information and experience about the border procedures, he deliberately travelled by road to Lome ,Togo to attend BIASHRA AFRICA programme.

The President added that he noted all the rigours been experienced by the cross border traders while crossing border posts as a result of procedures, lack of knowledge of border operation by the traders, and that is the reason why NACCIMA is now deeply involved in capacity building and also appreciated your coming.

He praised Alhaji Yahaya Oladiran Idris, the President of the Badagry Chamber of Commerce and his members for the good jobs they are doing along the Lagos-Abidjan trade route and particularly his never tired policy on capacity building , enlightenment and advocacy.

NACCIMA President, Engr Jani used the forum to commend the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR and Benin Director General of Customs for their recent meetings at Seme-Krake Joint border post on Customs connectivity projects, which he said, will speed up trade facilitation at the border post.

The President thanked the Benin Chamber of commerce for their cooperation with NACCIMA and BACCIMA.

In his response, the leader of the Benin Chamber of Commerce (CCI-Benin)delegation, Alhaji Razack YESSOUFOU expressed the delegations happiness to meet with the NACCIMA President within short notice, he stated that the CCI- Benin is in NACCIMA for economic cooperation because the two countries must work together to achieve the objectives of the ECOWAS protocols on the importation and exportation of agricultural products within the two countries.

He stated that Benin Chamber also wanted both countries regulatory institutions NAFDAC and ABSSA to work together to achieve standardization on both import and export of their products.

So also in Agricultural produce, and in view of these, they wanted NACCIMA to spearhead it in Nigeria.

Mr. Razack posited that Benin Chamber is highly interested in the standardization of cross border trade in order to reduce the problem of intermediaries that are clogs in the wheel of trade facilitation at the both end of Nigeria and Benin Republic borders.

In his contributions, the Director General of NACCIMA, Engr. Olusola Obadimu told the delegation that NACCIMA is ready to organize a meeting between CCI-Benin and NAFDAC to achieve standardization of products of both countries origin.

He used the meeting to inform the delegation of NACCIMA role in the issuance of Certificate of Origin on products in Nigeria.