By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Customs checkpoint |
LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dramatically reduced the number of checkpoints along the crucial Mile Two–Badagry expressway. The decision, confirmed in a press statement by Ademola Adewusi, spokesperson for the Border Areas Development Initiative (BADI), is being hailed as a major victory for economic activity and commuter welfare along one of West Africa's most vital trade corridors.
The action follows extensive advocacy and monitoring by Badagry youth groups like the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Hengo Badagry Youths Association, research groups BADI and the Universal Research and Training Institute (URTI) in Badagry.
The research teams emphasize that this proactive step by the Comptroller General of the NCS will directly enhance mobility, boost local commerce, and alleviate the financial strain on thousands of daily commuters and small-scale cross-border traders. The Mile Two–Badagry corridor serves as a primary economic artery, connecting Nigeria to the Seme border and the wider West African sub-region. For years, the proliferation of excessive checkpoints had become a major impediment, causing severe delays, inflating transport costs, and stifling the free flow of goods and people, ultimately damaging livelihoods in the borderlands.
While commending the Customs Service, the researchers from BADI and URTI presented stark data to highlight the ongoing challenge posed by other agencies. A baseline study conducted in the first three quarters of 2025 documented an alarming average of 58 checkpoints along the 21-kilometre stretch. The report specifically notes that the Nigeria Police Force accounted for over 20% of these deployments. "However, the Nigeria Police Force still maintains an unwieldy number of check points with no clearly-defined role," the statement revealed, calling for a top-echelon review of their necessity for border and community security.
The research institutions advocated for a broader shift towards modern, technology-driven border management. “This decision by the Nigeria Customs Service demonstrates a welcome commitment to smarter, people-focused border management,” the team stated.
They urged that this momentum be sustained through the adoption of risk profiling, intelligence-led patrols, and the use of scanners as more effective alternatives to physical roadblocks. The researchers also condemned the presence of non-uniformed personnel manning roadblocks and reserved special commendation for the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Navy for their use of advanced E-Border and Falcon Eye surveillance technologies.
By reducing physical hurdles while maintaining security, the Nigeria Customs Service has set a new precedent for trade facilitation in Nigeria's border regions. The move is seen as a direct response to national conversations on improving the ease of doing business.
BADI and URTI have now called on all other security and enforcement agencies operating along the corridor to follow the NCS's lead, avoid duplicating duties, and collaborate to create a more efficient and less burdensome environment for the people and economies of the borderlands.