Overview
The border is busy with no particular obstacles. It is operated by the Nigeria Customs Service. Updates on road conditions and accessibility should be obtained from the local office of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). At time of writing (June 2019) all trucks to the border were required to travel the road from Maiduguri to the border in escorted convoy with an overnight stopover in Gajibo before travelling to the border, where the commercial trucks enter a bonded area and their Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) issued by customs in Maiduguri are checked by the military before travelling the remaining short distance to cross the border. Trucks carrying humanitarian cargo go through a similar process.
There is no fuel available at the border or en route. There is very little secure storage available at the border.
Accommodation may be available for registered humanitarian agencies at the UN humanitarian Hub: www.humanitarianbooking.wfp.org
Border Crossing Location and Contact |
|
Name of Border Crossing
|
Nigeria: Ngala Cameroon: Fotokol |
Province or District |
Borno State, Gomboru Ngala Local Government Area (LGA) |
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Border Crossing |
Gambaru, on the border |
Latitude |
12.372742 |
Longitude |
14.207570 |
Managing Authority / Agency |
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) |
Contact Person |
Ayomide Adisa Contact: 0706 59 8525 |
Travel Times |
|
Nearest International Airport |
Maiduguri 200 km Truck Travel Time: 8 (dry season) - 16 (wet season) Car Travel time 6 hrs |
Nearest Port |
Lagos 1700 km Truck Travel Time: 40hrs (dry season) - 50 (rain) Car Travel time: 30 hrs |
Nearest location with functioning wholesale markets, or with significant manufacturing or production capacity |
Kano 730 km Truck Travel Time: 20 hrs (dry) - 30 hrs (rain) Car Travel time: 15 hrs |
Other Information
|
Road between Maiduguri and border requires travel permit for cargo and may require escort due to hostilities. |
Hours of Operation |
|
Mondays |
0800 – 1800 |
Tuesdays |
0800 – 1800 |
Wednesdays |
0800 – 1800 |
Thursdays |
0800 – 1800 |
Fridays |
0800 – 1200 |
Saturdays |
0800 – 1200 |
Sundays |
0800 – 1200 |
National Holidays |
May be closed on public holidays. Confirmation should be obtained from local office (contact details above) |
Seasonal Constraints |
August, September, October rain season renders the parts of the road from Maiduguri to the border impassable. Transport of goods should not be planned during these months. |
Daily Capacity
Very busy. All traffic uses same crossing lane. Capacity is limited by hours of operation and time taken to inspect vehicles. Around 50 to 200 trucks per day is normal.
Customs Clearance
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) operate the customs post. Standard documentation is required (see below). Without prior arrangement customs will not be available on weekends or public holidays.
For more information on customs in Nigeria please see the following link: 1.3 Nigeria Customs Information
Exportation of humanitarian goods: the requirements are: Packing list, Commercial Invoice, Waybill and Export Permit from Customs. Some items may also require approval from the Presidency.
Other Relevant Information
Very busy border, functions as per regular Nigerian Customs Service rules and regulations, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) issued by customs in Maiduguri are checked by the military before crossing the border.
For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Nigeria Government Contact List