Demand for made-in-Nigeria slippers, beverages and noodles soar in countries in the West African sub-region despite the low trade volume witnessed across the Seme-Krake border in Lagos.
Daily Trust investigation at the Seme-Krake border revealed that locally made slippers are now in high demand in countries like Benin Republic, Togo and Burkina Faso.
This rise in the export of locally made goods is despite the low trade volume recorded by the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Controller of the command, Dera Nnadi, noted that while the demand for foreign made items like slippers by Nigerians was on the increase, neighbouring countries were demanding similar products made in Nigeria.
He said the items that were on high demand on the export list in the sub region included slippers and beverages produced by companies in Nigeria.
He explained that, “Slippers is a very unique product; there are some slippers we manufacture here in Nigeria that are in high demand in West African countries. Similarly, there also some that are also manufactured in other countries in the sub-region that are on high demand in Nigeria
“It is a very funny game actually. I saw a document on the export of slippers. We have the one made in Nigeria which the people there like, and they also have the ones which our people like. But those ones don’t pay duty. Items produced in any ECOWAS nation don’t pay duty.
“For agro produce, we have zobo, we have hibiscus and others.”
The command’s revenue target for the year 2023 stands at N1.96 billion. However, despite the low trade volume, the command has been able to realise about N1.25 billion as duty in the first half of the year.
