Combating Smuggling of Consumer Goods across Nigeria-Benin Border: Strategies and Challenges.

Abstract

This paper interrogated the strategies implemented by the government in combating the smuggling of consumer goods across the Benin-Nigeria border. Structural-functionalism theory is adopted in the paper. Functionalists view society as a social structure made up of parts. All the parts are expected to function together and interdependently and cohesively for the whole society by which equilibrium and peace can be maintained within the society. Functionalists argued that society fails to survive because certain essential tasks that should be performed by the government and its institutions were not done. The paper utilised a cross-sectional survey design and combined both primary and secondary methods of data collection. Purposive and simple random sampling was used to sample the target population. The Krenjice and Morgan (1970) sample size technique was adopted in determining the sample size of three hundred and sixty-three (363) respondents. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS 27 and presented in mean and standard deviation. Linear regression was used to test the hypotheses. The study established that although the Nigerian government has achieved measurable success in curbing the smuggling of goods, more needs to be done. Therefore, the paper recommends that the government should formulate stiffer anti-smuggling laws, enhance the capacity of Nigerian Customs by way of regular training, provision of adequate equipment, remuneration, application of Information Technological (IT) based border security using surveillance drones and Hi-Tech Closed Circuit Television Cameras and scanners. The government should adequately deal with economic factors that tend to promote smuggling such as high tariff regimes, and import bans. The government should overhaul Nigerian port operations to fast-track import processes. Intense and sustained inter-agency collaboration among various security agencies at the border must also be enhanced while stamping out corruption among security agencies that man Nigeria's borders.