Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon Customs Move to Modernise Borders, Boost AfCFTA Trade

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), alongside the customs administrations of Benin and Cameroon, has taken a significant step toward modernising border operations and accelerating intra-African trade following a high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The five-day mission, supported by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), brought together the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi; Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga; Director-General of Benin Customs, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Lonto Ndlovu; and Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting coordinated border management, digital integration and institutional collaboration.
Speaking during the adoption of the Joint Communiqué on July 27, Comptroller-General Adeniyi described the visit as a turning point for African customs administrations seeking practical solutions to border reforms.
According to him, the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts demonstrate that efficient border management extends beyond infrastructure investment to include coordinated institutions, digital interoperability, accountability and skilled personnel.
“Beitbridge has demonstrated that border modernisation is not merely about infrastructure development. Sustainable reform depends on coordinated institutions, clear accountability, digital interoperability and professional human capital. We are leaving here with a renewed commitment to translate these lessons into practical solutions that will strengthen trade facilitation, security and economic growth across our region,” Adeniyi said.
During the mission, delegates participated in technical sessions, executive briefings and facility tours covering freight terminals, cargo processing centres, scanning operations, traffic management systems and integrated ICT infrastructure. The benchmarking team, comprising officials from Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin Customs, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, and Bsmart Technologies, also reviewed the Beitbridge modernisation and concession model, including its financing, operational framework, revenue management and governance structure.
The Joint Communiqué identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor between Nigeria and Benin Republic and the Mfum-Ekok corridor linking Nigeria and Cameroon as priority trade routes for implementing coordinated border management and One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) systems.
Cameroon Customs Director-General Fongod Nuvaga said stronger collaboration among African customs administrations would help eliminate procedural bottlenecks while maintaining effective border security.
He noted that enhanced regional cooperation is critical to unlocking the full economic benefits of the AfCFTA and deepening continental integration.
Similarly, Benin Customs Director-General Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou said the Beitbridge model offers practical lessons for improving border efficiency across West Africa through harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management and stronger institutional partnerships.
Earlier, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, said the benchmarking exercise was designed to expose participating countries to the governance and operational models that underpin successful modern border posts.
He stressed that while infrastructure remains important, long-term performance depends on accountability, technology, coordinated operations and measurable service standards.
The mission concluded with Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon signing a Joint Communiqué establishing a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to oversee implementation of the mission’s recommendations.
The three customs administrations also committed to harmonising border procedures, strengthening digital interoperability, improving coordinated risk management and investing in capacity development as they seek to create more efficient regional trade corridors and support Africa’s economic integration agenda.