Nigeria
2.3.2 Nigeria Ngala Land Border Crossing
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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 

 

NigeriaNgala 

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

 

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