So, it seems that smuggling is being discussed in Nigeria these days (my research is partly on the informal trade in second-hand clothing between Benin and Nigeria so I am really interested in this). Really, when a country has this list [pdf] of prohibited items what is to be expected? The Comptroller of Customs in-charge of Import and Export:
“Wives of influential people travel to Dubai to import suit cases and on arrival, their husbands call the customs officers informing them of the arrival of their wives who had traveled. We are all guilty.”
And
“Customs has the mandate to curb smuggling but the required tools are not available. And there is no political will to combat the smuggling. Smuggling is capital intensive and is undertaken by only those with the ways and means.
“Customs officers at the borders are tenants of big time smugglers. The borders are porous and cannot be effectively covered. But we can’t give up the fight. Government should empower Customs with tools and give us the needed support.”
I think it is high time the government reviewed the list of prohibited items and looked at other ways of protecting the local industry. That is the reason for the prohibition, right? Wait, it couldn’t be because of patronage, could it? Or the creation of ‘overnight’ millionaires by prohibiting the importation of certain products and then granting exclusive import license to certain individuals?