Effect of Anti-Smuggling Policies on Land Border Management in South West, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the effect of anti-smuggling policies on land border management in South-West Nigeria, focusing on the Seme and Idiroko land borders in Lagos and Ogun states. The objectives of the study were to examine the effect of border closure policy on physical land border management at the Seme and Idiroko land borders in Lagos and Ogun states, South West, Nigeria, and ascertain the effect of import tariff regimes on operational land border management at the Seme and Idiroko land borders in Lagos and Ogun states, South West, Nigeria. Flowing from the objectives of the study, two research questions and hypotheses were tested in the study. The research was based on Stakeholders’ theory. For the purposes of this research, the survey design method was adopted. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilized. A self-administered structured questionnaire was developed and administered to the respondents, and the resultant data was presented in tabular form, computed mean scores, and analyzed using the simple regression model. The key conclusions derived from the research were that the border closure policy impacts the management of physical land borders in South West Nigeria and that tariff regimes impact the operational management of land borders at Seme and Idiroko borders in Lagos and Ogun states, South West Nigeria. On the basis of the findings from this study, the study recommended, among others, that technological tools like aerial surveillance drones, electronic scanner machines for Customs officials, automated border control systems, electronic toll gates, should be acquired by government. All of these will help to enhance border patrol, surveillance, monitoring and inspection at various points of entry into the country.