Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon Customs Boost Border Modernisation
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), alongside the Customs administrations of Benin and Cameroon, has reaffirmed its commitment to coordinated border management and regional trade integration following a high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The five-day mission brought together the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi; Cameroon Customs Director-General, Mr Fongod Nuvaga; Benin Customs Director-General, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Mrs Lonto Ndlovu; and Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu. Organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the visit formed part of efforts to accelerate trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
During the adoption of the Joint Communiqué on 27 July 2026, CGC Adeniyi described the exercise as an important step towards translating border reform discussions into practical action. He said the experiences from the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts underscored the value of institutional coordination, digital integration and collaborative leadership in creating efficient trade corridors across Africa.
According to him, the success of modern border systems depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on clear governance structures, digital interoperability, accountability and a well-trained workforce capable of sustaining reforms.
Participants received technical briefings on the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model, covering its financing, operational framework, revenue management and coordinated border governance. The delegation also toured freight terminals, cargo processing centres, scanning facilities, traffic management systems and integrated ICT infrastructure to observe how technology and inter-agency collaboration have improved border efficiency.
The Joint Communiqué identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor between Nigeria and Benin and the Mfum-Ekok corridor linking Nigeria and Cameroon as priority routes for coordinated border management and One-Stop Border Post implementation to facilitate trade across West and Central Africa.
Cameroon Customs Director-General, Fongod Nuvaga, stressed that closer cooperation among African customs administrations is essential to eliminating procedural bottlenecks while maintaining effective border security. He said stronger partnerships would enable countries to maximise the opportunities created by the AfCFTA.
Similarly, Benin Customs Director-General, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, noted that the Beitbridge model offers practical lessons for improving border operations across West Africa. He highlighted harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management and stronger institutional collaboration as key drivers of seamless trade and improved revenue collection.
Also speaking, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, said the mission was designed to expose participating administrations to the governance models, operational systems and institutional reforms that underpin successful border modernisation, rather than focusing solely on infrastructure.
The mission concluded with Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon signing a Joint Communiqué establishing a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to implement recommendations from the visit. The three Customs administrations also committed to harmonising border procedures, strengthening digital connectivity, enhancing coordinated risk management and investing in personnel development to support more efficient regional trade.
