₦airaland Forum

Nigeria closed its border with Benin on August 20 in an attempt to stop the smuggling of contraband goods, including food and petrol, across the border. This decision by Africa’s leading economic power has had disastrous effects on vegetable growers in Benin, who are now struggling to sell their produce. Now it is common to see spoiled, unsold vegetables abandoned by the side of the road or, in some cases, even rotting on the vine.

Dozens of baskets of rotten tomatoes were abandoned by the side of the road in Grand-Popo, Benin.

Nigeria made the unilateral decision to shut its border with Benin in August and soon after also closed sections of its border with Cameroon and Niger, in an attempt to clamp down on the smuggling of contraband goods, including petrol and food. One key concern cited by authorities was the rice that Beninese traders import from Asia and then illegally re-export to Nigeria. According to the Nigerian authorities, the importation of these goods jeopardises the country’s agricultural policy aimed at achieving food autonomy.

But these protectionist measures taken by President Muhammadu Buhari have had disastrous consequences on Beninese farmers, many of whom sell their produce on the Nigerian market. They’ve suffered significant losses since the border closure.

'It’s been hard since Nigeria shut its border'

Charles Acakpo is the president of a vegetable-growing collective in Houéyiho, a swampy area measuring about 37 acres in the centre of Cotonou.

A total of 337 farmers grow their vegetables on this land as part of the collective.

We grow all different kinds of vegetables on our plots, including carrots, turnips and different kinds of greens.

Before the borders were closed, lots of Nigerians came to buy our produce. We sold them about 15 tons of vegetables a month, which represented about 75 percent of our total production. They were especially fond of our lettuces and our carrots.

But it has been really hard since Nigeria closed its borders. We are really struggling to sell our produce. Here in Cotonou there is much less demand. People aren’t buying, so we’ve suffered enormous losses.

We’d like our government to negotiate a re-opening of the border with the Nigerian government. That would be a good thing for us and business could start back up on both sides of the border.

oteneaaron:
Meaning that,

as you have refused to see anything good in Nigeria,

he @sarrki does, and since you have the right to hate on your fatherland,

he also the right to be optimistic about the future



ITK will nor kee me

sarrki:
If I have never interrupted your perpetual misery about Nigeria, don't resent me for my unending hope. Your right, my right.

Okoroawusa:
At least if it can power only your phone so that you can be on Nairaland all day is that not enough?

Anazp:
world-wide where?, only to Africans in diaspora. same team with Korean pop. they sell to Koreans Asians and Asians in diaspora

walexy100:
He is not Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the one and only Afrobeat Legend.

baby124:
This girl no de go back Ghana? Seems Nigeria now gives long term resident permits. Where Ghana will be huffing and puffing if we try this. Nigeria, where potential illegal immigrants are celebrity .

Princedapace:
I'm scared Buhari and his chief of army staff may have hidden plans. This chief of army staff is the worse in the history of Nigeria. The only time we lost soldiers like we have lost under his watch was in the civil war.

Few days ago, 21 soldiers and a major general ran away from the war front.

Few days ago, about 9 soldiers were reported killed by bandits, that was few days ago when it was reported that close to 20 soldiers were also killed.

We can't forget when our soldiers were killed in hundreds. This man is still there o. Kidnapping, and all various forms of killings in Nigeria are on the highest red alert ever.

What I don't understand is why Buhari supporters don't ever speak the truth. This chief of army staff should have been sacked.

daddytime:
Dem say Oyibo no well say Africans dey cultured...how? I no even know


Dem say serial killing na oyibo sickness but see the PH serial...

Dem say oyibo no normal because of LGBT, but Bob the builder keeps waxing strong because of him down low patrons.

Dem say oyibo na antichrist but we carry the religions for head yet, ritual killings, corruption, hate, jealousy and every bad in all books na our forte.

Very confusing.

If people can just understand that most acts or preferences are just individual choices/fetishes, then we'd all be cool.

* if you are interested in getting a side hustle with no stress to make a few bucks...holla at me to show you how..

The governors of the 36 state of the federation in Nigeria have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to handover some of the roads belonging to the Federal Government to them to fix.


This was part of their demands at the National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the six-hour meeting, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi alongside Kwara State Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, said the NEC was concerned about the poor state of federal roads.


The Ebonyi governor said it had become clear that the federal government lacked the required funds to fix roads.

Ahmed on his part said despite being faced with the challenge of paying salaries, states could fix roads through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
Details later…