Lagos: ECOWAS President, Dr. Omar Touray, has expressed concerns over the deteriorating infrastructure at the Nigeria-Bénin Republic Seme border, despite significant investments by ECOWAS. During an on-the-spot assessment visit to one of West Africa’s busiest and most strategic corridors, the President highlighted the urgent need for reforms to preserve the region’s free movement protocol.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the visit aimed to evaluate the implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Goods and Services and identify existing barriers. Dr. Touray emphasized the importance of delivering a comprehensive report with recommendations to address the infrastructure issues and eliminate cross-border obstacles. He urged border security officials and national authorities to better align with ECOWAS protocols.

Dr. Touray criticized the non-functional expensive facilities, including scanners, lighting systems, and bridges, at the border. He stated that the millions spent on these idle piece
s of equipment were unjustifiable and called for member states to take responsibility for maintenance. Additionally, he condemned the proliferation of checkpoints within member countries, which he argued contradicts the spirit of the ECOWAS free movement protocol and leads to opportunities for corruption.

Dr. Ben Oramalugo, Comptroller of Customs at the Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos-Seme Border, briefed the President on the challenges faced by the command, including non-functional scanners and lack of basic amenities like electricity and water. He highlighted the dependency on Benin for electricity and the absence of a connection to Nigeria’s National Grid, which leaves the border in darkness during power outages.

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Amb. Musa Nuhu, emphasized the Seme border’s critical role in the ECOWAS free movement protocol. He noted the gap between policy and implementation, underscoring the need to address infrastructure decay and operational bottlenecks. Ambassador Nuhu als
o revealed that President Bola Tinubu recently approved a Presidential Task Force to dismantle multiple checkpoints in the country.

The visit allowed Touray to engage directly with community citizens, security operatives, and commuters, gaining insights into the on-ground realities at this crucial border post.