Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has described the ongoing bilateral engagement to bolster trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic as a historical milestone and the making of a major hub for trade.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Communications Strategy,
Alkasim Abdulkadir, and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA.
According to the statement, the minister disclosed this at a bilateral meeting at the Segbana customs border post in Benin Republic.
The meeting according to Tuggar was key to operationalizing the Kebbi-Segbana border as well as showcasing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to enhancing economic ties between the two countries with a view to promoting economic growth and prosperity, in line with the 8 point agenda of the government.
The Minister stressed the need for the maintenance of harmonious relationships in their common borders, by embracing mutually inclusive approaches to remove all irritants and work towards finding a peaceful and sustainable resolution to clashes between Nigerian and Beninese communities around the border areas.
Ambassador Tuggar also used the occasion in line with the 4 Ds foreign policy goals of the federal government, to call the attention of the government of Benin to the the incessant border frictions by both countries, especially the ongoing efforts to repatriate 700 hundred Nigerians living in the Segbana, Northern Benin Republic.
The bilateral meeting according to the statement also agreed to set up a project implementation working group within a short, medium and long term framework through the resuscitation of the Nigeria-Benin Joint Commission which last held a meeting in 2014 in Cotonou.
The two countries agreed that the establishment of the Permanent Joint Commission will complement governments’ subsisting efforts for robust economic bilateral relations.
The strong Nigerian delegation led by Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar comprised of the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris Kaura, the Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, Dr. Dakorinama Alabo George and the Director Home Finance, Alh. Aliyu Mohammed who represented the Minister of Finance.
While the representative from the Benin side were Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romauld Wadgani, Director General of Customs among others.
