NIGERIA- BENIN BORDER CLOSURE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMY

Smuggling is a natural outcome of the combination of economicethnic, and cultural connections transcending artificially- demarcated national borders with lack of coordination of trade policies across countries and weak state enforcement capabilities are likely exposed to all sorts of smuggling activities across borders. This paper seeks to examine the Nigeria-Benin border closure and its implications on Nigeria's economic development. The paper employs rational choice crime theory. The study utilized secondary data. The study revealed that smuggling of contraband gooc/s, small arms and light weapons, illicit drugs, and petroleum products, all of which in turn pose serious threats to Nigeria's human security, financial security, food security, and health security. Nigeria-Benin Republic relations have had its ups and downs, but the seemingly unending illegal activities on the border between the two countries made Nigerian government to unilaterally close the border against Benin Republic. The border closure is advantageous to Nigeria's economy in many important ways, such that it will become possible for Nigeria government to take stock and regulate its economy. This paper posed some recommendations towards reducing smuggling activities on Nigeria-Benin border and strengthening the economy of the two countries. Benin Republic as a country should change its economic policy in which goods are primarily imported with the intention of re-exporting them, mostly illegally to another country, to a more productive economic policy and increase Nigeria's anti­ corruption efforts. There had been cases of financial corruption among anti-smuggling security agents in Nigeria in which anti-smuggling security agents were apprehended while collaborating with smugglers for financial gains. The Nigeria anti-corruption agencies like Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be granted wider legal powers to investigate suspected corrupt Nigerians.