ECOWAS president Omar Touray has decried the deplorable state of infrastructure at the Nigeria-Bénin Republic Seme border, despite the huge investment in them by ECOWAS.
Mr Touray stated this during an official on-the-spot assessment visit to the Nigeria–Lagos Seme border, one of West Africa’s busiest and most strategic corridors.
The visit aimed to assess how the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Goods and Services was implemented and identify obstacles.
Mr Touray called for urgent reforms to safeguard the region’s free movement protocol. He pledged to deliver a full report and recommendations toward addressing the decadence and removing all cross-border obstacles.
The ECOWAS president also called on border security officials and national authorities to align more closely with ECOWAS protocols.
According to him, while ECOWAS is responsible for initiating infrastructure, maintenance is the responsibility of individual member states.
Mr Touray also decried the proliferation of checkpoints within member countries, arguing that it contradicted the spirit of the ECOWAS free movement protocol.
“Why do we have multiple customs and immigration posts for the same corridor? It frustrates travellers, delays trade, and creates opportunities for corruption,” he said.
Mr Touray demanded transparency and urged officials to crack down on unofficial payments.
He further clarified that the protocol on free movement under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme does not eliminate the need for proper documentation.
(NAN)
