Trade Diversion: Nigeria, Benin Republic Customs Agencies Joins Forces
The Nigeria Customs Service and the Customs Administration of Benin Republic have pledged to tackle diversion and fraud along the Nigeria-West corridor by implementing the SIGMAT system. This interconnected system aims to enhance the management of goods in transit, promoting transparency and efficiency.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, announced the deployment of the SIGMAT system during its official launch at the Seme Krake Joint Border Post on May 19, 2025. This initiative aims to enhance inter-agency coordination and collaboration between Nigeria and Benin Republic, addressing cross-border challenges and promoting cooperation between the two customs administrations.
The SIGMAT system is designed to digitalize and harmonize customs transit operations across member states, a concept that was conceived over a decade ago to achieve these specific goals.
“Primarily, we want to improve the visibility of goods in transit. We want to combat diversion and fraud along the Abidjan-Lagos Highway Corridor.
“We also want to use the platform to foster inter-agency coordination and collaboration between us.
“And for our stakeholders, we want to simplify the procedures at the borders and by so doing, we want to reduce delays” the CG said.
The CG noted that SIGMAT is Nigeria’s strategic ambition to align with regional digital customs standards and to modernize the globalization of our trade portfolio.
He further stated that future plans include expanding SIGMAT deployments to additional border locations, such as Idiroko. He emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral communication mechanisms for timely technical engagements between agencies and institutions. Most crucially, he highlighted the goal of ensuring trade generates revenue and prosperity, enhancing trade facilitation between the two countries.
Mrs. Adidjatou Hassan Zanouvi, Director General of Benin Republic Customs Administration, welcomed the platform, saying it would greatly reduce delays and boost trade facilitation between Benin and Nigeria.
“The technical launch for the SIGMAT platform, which is a very important milestone for the cooperation and the interoperability between Benin and Nigerian Customs, because it will facilitate the move of the goods and also will help our customs services to fight against any fraud, to have an exclusivity in collecting revenue and also facilitate trade.
“The system will really solidify and facilitate the move of the goods from Abidjan, which is already in the SIGMAT system from Abidjan, all the way to Benin and then to Nigeria, and also when goods are coming from Nigeria to use the corridor, SIGMAT”.
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