Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon Customs Commit to Border Modernisation After Beitbridge Benchmarking Mission

The Nigeria Customs Service has reinforced its commitment to coordinated border management, trade facilitation and regional economic 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; Director General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga; Director-General of Benin Customs, Col. Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Lonto Ndlovu; and Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu.

It was organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) as part of ongoing efforts to deepen intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Speaking during the adoption of a Joint Communiqué on Monday, July 27, 2026, Adeniyi described the mission as a strategic opportunity for African customs administrations to move beyond discussions on border reforms and focus on practical implementation of modern border management systems.

He said the experiences from the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts in Zimbabwe underscored the importance of coordinated institutional frameworks, digital integration and collaborative leadership in transforming Africa’s trade corridors.

“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 said.

The benchmarking mission featured technical sessions, facility tours and executive briefings by border agencies in Zimbabwe.

A technical team comprising officials from the Nigeria Customs Service, Cameroon Customs Administration, Benin Customs Administration, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, and Bsmart Technologies briefed participants on the Beitbridge modernisation and concession model, including its financing structure, operational framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.

Participants also toured freight terminals, cargo processing facilities, scanning operations, traffic segmentation systems and integrated ICT infrastructure supporting seamless border operations.

The visits provided firsthand insights into how technology, institutional coordination and performance management have transformed one of Africa’s busiest border crossings into a model for efficient trade facilitation.

According to the Joint Communiqué signed by the participating customs administrations, the mission forms part of a broader continental effort to facilitate trade across West Africa and between West and Central Africa.

The communiqué identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic and the Mfum-Ekok corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon as strategic routes that could benefit significantly from coordinated border management and One-Stop Border Post arrangements.

Also, Director General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga, stressed the need for collective action to improve trade corridors across Africa, saying customs administrations must work together to eliminate procedural bottlenecks while maintaining effective border controls.

He noted that stronger regional cooperation would enable African countries to maximise opportunities under the AfCFTA and accelerate economic integration.

Similarly, Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, noted that the lessons from Beitbridge offer practical pathways for improving border efficiency within West Africa.

He emphasised that harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management systems and stronger institutional partnerships will be critical to achieving seamless trade movement across regional corridors.

Colonel Raouf added that sustained collaboration among neighbouring customs administrations remains essential for delivering measurable improvements in trade facilitation and revenue assurance.

Earlier, Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion at Afreximbank, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, highlighted the significance of the benchmarking exercise as part of the Bank’s broader strategy to support trade-enabling infrastructure across Africa.

According to him, the objective extends beyond showcasing physical infrastructure to exposing participating administrations to the governance structures, operational models and institutional reforms underpinning successful modern border posts.

“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,” he said.

The mission concluded with the signing of a Joint Communiqué committing Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to oversee implementation of the recommendations from the visit.

The three customs administrations also pledged to pursue harmonised procedures, digital interoperability, coordinated risk management systems and sustained investment in personnel development to strengthen cross-border trade and regional economic integration.