Niger Coup: Businesses In Northern Nigeria Suffer Misfortune

Nigeria’s decision to close its border with Niger Republic following the military coup in the former francophone West African country has resulted in huge losses for those involved in the shipment of food and other perishable consumer goods.

The Nigerian Custom Service had earlier confirmed closed all land borders to Niger Republic following ECOWAS Directives.

Trucks and buses conveying  goods have been held up at the border for days, piling up costs, disrupting supply chains, and delaying delivery deadlines 

LN247 News Correspondent sent in this report from Katsina state, one of the seven Nigerian states bordering the Niger Republic.

Katsina state has 2 major border points with Niger Republic – Jibiya and Kongolam. The two locations are typically very busy, with the link roads filled with delivery trucks and buses carrying raw food items, grains, animals, and other consumer goods. 

But the situation has not been the same since Nigeria decided to close its border with its neighbor 

Businesses around the border communities have largely been at a standstill, as trucks loaded with goods have been stuck at the borders for almost two weeks.

Foodstuffs like garri, beans, wheat, tiger nuts, and dates are loaded in these trucks. But it’s been an endless wait for the drivers and owners of the goods. They cannot drive out of Nigeria, neither can they gain entry into Niger Republic, even when the destination country is just literally in plain sight 

Abubakar Alhaji is a dealer in foodstuffs and chairman of the grain sellers living in the Jibiya border area. He says the situation has resulted in a spike in the prices of grains 

According to him, a bag of maize now goes for N48,000, beans N46,000, while a bag of rice now sells for N38,000.

Chairman, Bus drivers & transport association Hamza Lawal says, Automobile engineers along the border area are also not spared the effect of the border lockdown. Another businessman, Yahaya Isah who has been engaging in imports and exports to Niger Republic and Benin Republic for over 15 years, explains how the border closure  will disrupt the supply chain in the affected countries.

Many young men make a living off delivery trucks. Abdunaser Yusuf, Ismail Abdullahi, and Badamasi Muhammed are truck boys who are paid to load up trucks, accompany them to their destination, and help in evacuating goods from the trucks.  They have spent all their savings and are now as static as their truck is. 

They are all hoping the political situation is resolved as soon as possible to enable them to go back to their normal business lives.


Discover more from LN247

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Most Popular This Week

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from Author

Advertisement

Read Now

Tariff Hike: NLC Threatens Nationwide Telecoms Boycott

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning to the Nigerian government and telecommunications companies, threatening a nationwide boycott of telecom services in response to the recent 50% increase in tariffs. The NLC argues that this hike, approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), constitutes...

FCCPC Urges Telecom Operators to Improve Services After Tariff Hike

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called on telecom operators to prioritize service improvements following the recent approval of a 50% increase in telecom tariffs by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). In a statement released on Wednesday via its official X handle, the FCCPC recognized...

FG Unveils Bold Plans for Aircraft Manufacturing in Nigeria

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish an aircraft manufacturing company in Nigeria, a significant step towards advancing the country’s aviation sector and supporting local operators. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, shared this vision during the unveiling of XeJet’s Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul...

Discover more from LN247

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading