By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), alongside its counterparts in Benin Republic and Cameroon, has moved to strengthen regional trade cooperation through the adoption of modern border management strategies aimed at boosting intra-African trade.
The move followed a high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa, where Customs authorities from the three West and Central African countries examined systems that have transformed one of Africa’s busiest trade corridors.
The five-day mission, organised with support from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), brought together Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga, Director-General of Benin Customs, Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Lonto Ndlovu, and other stakeholders.
Speaking during the signing of a Joint Communiqué on Monday, July 27, 2026, Adeniyi said the visit provided an opportunity for African Customs administrations to move from discussions on border reforms to practical implementation of modern systems that would improve trade facilitation and economic integration.
He said the experience from the Beitbridge and Chirundu Border Posts demonstrated that successful border modernisation goes beyond infrastructure development, stressing the need for coordinated institutions, digital integration, accountability and professional manpower.
“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,” Adeniyi said.
He added that Nigeria and its partners were committed to translating the lessons from the mission into practical solutions that would strengthen trade facilitation, security and economic growth across the region.
During the mission, participants received technical briefings on the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model, including its financing structure, operational framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.
The team also inspected freight terminals, cargo processing facilities, scanning operations, traffic management systems and integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure deployed to enhance efficiency at the border.
According to the Joint Communiqué, the lessons from the exercise would support ongoing efforts to improve strategic trade corridors in West and Central Africa, particularly the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic, and the Mfum-Ekok corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon.
Fongod Nuvaga, Director-General of Cameroon Customs, said stronger cooperation among African Customs administrations was necessary to remove barriers affecting legitimate trade while maintaining effective border controls.
He noted that coordinated action would enable African countries to maximise the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and accelerate economic integration.
Similarly, Aboudou stressed that harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management systems and stronger institutional partnerships were critical to achieving seamless movement of goods across regional borders.
He said sustained collaboration among neighbouring countries remained essential for improving trade facilitation and revenue assurance.
Earlier, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, said the benchmarking exercise was designed to expose African countries to the governance structures and operational models behind successful border modernisation.
He explained that while infrastructure remained important, effective border operations depended largely on accountability, coordination, technology and measurable service standards.
The mission ended with Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon agreeing to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of recommendations from the visit.
The three Customs administrations also committed to pursuing harmonised procedures, digital interoperability, coordinated risk management systems and continuous investment in human capacity development to improve trade movement across African corridors.
