Cotonou: The President of Benin on Thursday again called on the military rulers of Nigeria to cooperate and allow the export of oil through his country across the border.
Benin has eased trade restrictions on its border with Niger after sanctions were imposed on Nigeria following a coup in July last year.
But the president of Benin, Patrice Talon, has been complaining for weeks that the Nigerian government has not been cooperative in repairing relations and formalizing trade.
“Nigerian authorities should officially declare that oil is exempt from land border closures,” he said, adding that this would “pave the way for legal treatment for oil originating in Nigeria.”
Niger, a port, operates a pipeline to export its oil from its oil fields to the port of Seme in Benin.
Benin’s president called on military authorities to formalize trade without allowing unofficial border crossings.
Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, was initially able to sell raw materials on the international market through Seme.
