The federal government is reviewing the enforcement of processes and certifications of foreigners entering Nigeria under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Free Movement of Goods and Persons Protocol.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, disclosed this at Nigeria Customs Service Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada in Abuja where he presented certificates to about 40 senior Customs officers after a five-month training tagged ‘Senior Division Course 1’.
Osinbajo said government was working with the NCS, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other agencies to review the protocol through which herdsmen and livestock from other countries enter Nigeria to ensure they were duly certified and identified.
He said: “We are also working with customs and immigration and other forces and service agencies to take second look at the movement of livestock and herders from our neighbours under the ECOWAS Free Movement of Goods and Persons Protocol.”
He noted that in the past the checks and certification required were hardly done.
“So people and herders could move in from the North of Africa but most times, when they move in, all of the required certifications, identifications and processes that should be done under the protocol have never really been effected.
“So we are working now to ensure that all of those are done and that the protocol is not abused in a way that it was done in the past.
“It is important for us to ensure that while we respect international treaties, when those treaties threaten our territorial integrity, peace and security that we take very stringent action on this and that is precisely what we are doing now with the active collaboration of Customs and Immigration,” he explained.
