The Nigeria Customs Service has expressed commitment to strengthening the existing bilateral ties with its counterpart in the Republic of Benin, for ease of trade.

As part of efforts to achieve this goal, the Comptroller-General of the service, Adewale Adeniyi, led a delegation to visit the Director-General of the Customs Administration of Republic of Benin.

A statement by NCS’ National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said that the primary focus of the meeting was to deliberate on strategies to increase trade activities between the two nations.

He said that the move was to ensure the seamless implementation of recommendations previously discussed between the two countries in Cotonou.

The discussion in Cotonou focused on deepening collaborations in areas of common interest and strengthening operational cooperation.

Adeniyi said, “The CG, during a visit to Cotonou in 2023, noted the progress being made in reducing clearance time and in the application of technology for operations at the port of Cotonou. He acknowledged the established framework for cooperation between the two nations’ respective customs administrations.

“This framework was established at a higher level with President Patrice Talon of Benin and President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria both expressing a desire to work together. It is upon this foundation that the customs of both countries are united in their efforts.’’

(NAN)