The Customs administrations of Nigeria and Benin Republic have stepped up efforts to streamline cross-border trade with a joint assessment of the Seme-Krake One-Stop Border Post, in a move aimed at cutting trade barriers, improving efficiency and deepening regional economic integration.
The assessment, conducted on Friday, focused on evaluating operational readiness, inspecting facilities and demonstrating a new border-modernisation solution designed to enable secure, real-time data exchange between the two countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, underscored the strategic importance of the Seme-Krake crossing, which sits along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor and handles approximately 70 per cent of West Africa’s transit trade.
Adeniyi said the border operates around the clock throughout the year, stressing that disruptions at such a critical gateway carry significant economic consequences across the region.
“A corridor of that weight does not fail quietly. Every hour lost at this gate is multiplied across thousands of consignments and tens of thousands of travellers, and is paid for in the price of goods in markets from Cotonou to Lagos. Conversely, an hour saved here is saved for the whole region,” he said.
Although the Nigerian and Beninese Customs administrations currently operate under one roof at the border, Adeniyi said a significant gap remains in digital integration, as both countries do not yet operate a unified system.
He said the NCS was therefore working towards establishing a common data-exchange arrangement to close the systems gap and improve coordination between the two administrations.
“We are here to close the system gap. Work is underway on the interconnection of our two administrations so that a declaration lodged on one side is visible on the other in real time, transit can be tracked from origin to destination, and a risk profile or enforcement alert raised by one administration reaches the other while it is still useful,” he said.
Adeniyi also highlighted the importance of informal cross-border traders, who make up a significant proportion of users of the border.
He said women account for more than 70 per cent of informal traders across Africa, while about 22 per cent of Benin’s informal exports are destined for Nigeria.
“Overall, informal trade accounts for an estimated fifth of Nigeria’s economic activity and an even larger share in Benin,” he said.
The NCS Comptroller General commended the Benin Customs administration for its trust and collaboration in advancing the One-Stop Border Post project, describing the partnership as critical to improving trade flows and strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
Also speaking, the Director General of Benin Customs, Raouf Malehossou, commended Nigeria’s leadership in promoting trade integration across the sub-region, saying stronger cooperation between the two countries would help stimulate economic growth and unlock greater regional trade opportunities.