VOA常速英语:尼日利亚打击边境走私对贸易和物价造成影响

Like many Nigerian rice dealers, Emeka Ugwuoke imports overland from neighboring Benin, often through informal channels.
But since the Nigerian government closed border trade in August to crack down on smuggling, his orders are stuck in Benin and rice prices have shut up.
Since I started this rice business, this year is the worst, because the border closure has affected many of our goods.
The price of a bag of rice has increased by almost 70 percent.
Trade channels remain open through Nigeria’s water ports,
but they remain clogs by poor infrastructure, bureaucracy and corruption.
Nigeria’s labors complained the suspension of border trade goes against the spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area Deal Abuja signed in July,
but Nigerian authorities note that most border trade is illegal and say 8 million dollars’ worth of smuggled goods have been seized so far.
It’s yielding so much positive results, in terms of security, situation improvement has been very, very tremendous, positive improvement on the side of security.
And then economic activities are being stimulated.
Our farmers smiling to the banks, the patronage shifted inward.
Rice farmers like Reston Tedheke have indeed benefited from the closed border.
Let’s put it blocked out there.

The federal government should keep the borders shut.
If you know, see borders shut, what I’m gonna do?
I’m gonna look within.
While Nigerian authorities say the border will remain closed until at least January, economists warn the trade limit should not be permanent.
And we need to promote trade with the liberalized trade,
but there has to be done in such a way that they will promote employment, they will prompt incipient growth and inclusive growth in our economies.
We’re not on the mind and destroy the trading relations.
Rice trader Ugwuoke says as long as border trade is banned,
customers are also losing out on quality as standards of cheaper local rice are not as high as imports.
Our customers complain that the local rice contains stones and sand particles and honestly, I have opened some of them and confirmed it.
Although Nigeria plans to reopen its border trade by January, if its neighbors halt the smuggling, some lawmakers are pushing for a two-year extension.
If that happens, Nigeria will face growing pressure from its neighbors over free trade as well as from Nigeria’s millions of rice consumers.