Contrary to the recent contestable claims that border closure has shut up import activities at Nigerian ports to the extent seaports now records as high as N11bn revenue daily, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has decried that the continued closure of Nigeria’s land borders has killed sales beyond Nigeria space.
The body made it clear that border closure is no more sustainable as many genuine businesses are suffering, and some are at the verge of shutting down. Besides, when a nation makes more revenue from jumping imports, it clearly translates to collpasing local production.
Director- General of the group, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, who spoke at a Stakeholders forum on impact of border closure on Nigeria’s economy organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said “While a section like the agriculture (poultry and rice farmers) had benefitted from the border closure, we want to say the border closure is not sustainable on a long term.
“Some of our members in the food, beverage, tobacco industry, and those in paper and roofing sheet production are complaining that their businesses are being affected negatively.”
Ajayi-Kadir, represented by MAN’s director of corporate affairs, Mr Ambrose Obruche, said some members of the association complained that their businesses were suffering.
MAN boss further explained that such businesses especially in food and tobacco industry spent more money to import their raw materials and export their finished goods within the West African sub region.
The stakeholders’ forum was put together by MAN in partnership with the Centre for International Private Enterprise.
