AfCFTA gets boost as Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon unit on border reform, eye one-step trade corridors
Maureen Aguta
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, and his counterparts from Benin and Cameroon have taken a major step towards transforming Africa’s border management architecture, agreeing to pursue harmonised procedures and digital integration aimed at accelerating intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The commitment followed a five-day high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa—widely regarded as one of Africa’s most modern and efficient border crossings—which provided practical insights into coordinated border management and one-stop border post operations.
The mission, organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), brought together 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), Mrs Lonto Ndlovu; and Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu.
Speaking at the adoption of the Joint Communiqué on Monday, Adeniyi described the exercise as a turning point for African customs administrations seeking to translate border reform conversations into practical, technology-driven solutions.
He said the lessons drawn from the Beitbridge and Chirundu Border Posts in Zimbabwe underscored the critical role of institutional coordination, digital interoperability and collaborative leadership in unlocking Africa’s trade potential.
“Beitbridge has demonstrated that border modernisation is not merely about infrastructure development. The most important lesson for us is that 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 stated.
The benchmarking mission featured technical sessions, executive briefings and extensive tours of freight terminals, cargo processing facilities, scanning operations, traffic management systems and integrated ICT infrastructure supporting seamless border operations.
A technical team comprising officials from the Nigeria Customs Service, Cameroon and Benin Customs administrations, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, and Bsmart Technologies presented the Customs chiefs with the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model, detailing its financing framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.
Participants were also exposed to performance management mechanisms that have transformed Beitbridge into one of Africa’s busiest and most efficient trade gateways.
The Joint Communiqué signed at the end of the mission identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic, and the Mfum-Ekok corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon, as strategic trade routes that could benefit significantly from coordinated border management systems and One-Stop Border Post arrangements.
Director-General of the Cameroon Customs Administration, Fongod Nuvaga, stressed that stronger regional cooperation remains indispensable for dismantling procedural bottlenecks that constrain legitimate trade while preserving effective border controls.
According to him, customs administrations across Africa must work collectively to maximise the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA and deepen regional economic integration.
Similarly, Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, said the Beitbridge model offers practical lessons for improving border efficiency across West Africa.
He noted that harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management frameworks and strengthened institutional partnerships would be critical to achieving seamless movement of goods across regional trade corridors.
Also speaking, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, said the benchmarking exercise forms part of the Bank’s broader strategy to support trade-enabling infrastructure and institutional reforms across the continent.
He explained that beyond showcasing physical infrastructure, the mission was designed to expose participating administrations to the governance frameworks and operational models that underpin successful modern border systems.
“Infrastructure is important, but what truly drives performance is an operating model built on accountability, coordination, technology and measurable service standards. Those are the lessons we hope will be replicated across strategic corridors on the continent,” Zanamwe said.
The mission culminated in the signing of a Joint Communiqué committing Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to drive the implementation of recommendations arising from the visit.
The three customs administrations further pledged to harmonise border procedures, strengthen digital interoperability, deploy coordinated risk management systems and sustain investment in human capital development—moves expected to significantly enhance trade facilitation and boost economic integration across West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the initiative signals a renewed commitment by the Nigeria Customs Service to leveraging regional partnerships and technology-driven reforms to improve border efficiency, enhance revenue assurance and unlock the vast opportunities offered by Africa’s single market under the AfCFTA.