In light of Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso’s departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) due to the regional bloc’s position on military takeovers in these Francophone nations, investigations by the Nigerian Tribune indicate that certain importers and exporters from landlocked Niger Republic may opt to forsake Nigerian ports for their transshipment needs.
It’s worth recalling that in 2023, Niger Republic, which shares a border with Nigeria to the north, committed to shifting its transshipment activities away from Cotonou Port to Lekki Port.
During the inauguration of the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos in January 2023, Mme Tchima Moustapha, the Director General of the Ministry of Transportation in Niger Republic, informed journalists that the advanced infrastructure at Lekki Deep Seaport had presented a viable option for Niger importers to redirect their transshipment operations through Nigeria, departing from their reliance on Cotonou Port in Benin Republic.
Nevertheless, in light of Niger Republic’s withdrawal from ECOWAS, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, a former National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), expressed skepticism in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, casting doubts on the likelihood of Niger Republic’s transshipment cargoes continuing to flow through Lekki Port.
According to Prince Olayiwola Shittu, “I don’t see the trans-shipment cargoes of Niger Republic coming in through Lekki Port because of what is going on in ECOWAS. Don’t forget that all the three countries that pulled out of ECOWAS are francophone countries and are landlocked.
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“With the withdrawal of Niger Republic from ECOWAS, their importers might be told to also go back to Cotonou Port to mover their trans-shipment cargoes. You know Niger Republic and Benin Republic are both francophone countries. However, Niger Republic will face the backlash more because they depend on Nigeria for electricity and trade. Its an ongoing development that we are watching unfold.”
Also speaking, a former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Eugene Nweke explained that from time immemorial, Niger Republic had always preferred Cotonou or Lome for their trans-shipment cargoes.
“The Niger Republic had always preferred to use Lome and Cotonou Ports for their trans-shipment cargoes in the past. Yes, last year they said they will start using Nigeria, but with what is happening in ECOWAS politically today, that promise might no longer be feasible. However, that looks insignificant to me judging by the volume of cargoes that they trans-ship, which is very low,” Chief Eugene Nweke explained.
(TRIBUNE)