The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), alongside its counterparts from Benin Republic and Cameroon, has taken a major step towards modernising border operations and boosting intra-African trade after concluding a five-day benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The high-level mission, organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), brought together the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga, Director-General of Benin Customs, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Lonto Ndlovu, Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, and other technical experts.
The visit formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through improved border management, trade facilitation and economic integration.
Speaking during the adoption of a Joint Communiqué on Monday, Comptroller-General Adeniyi described the mission as a turning point for African customs administrations, saying the continent must move beyond discussions and begin implementing practical reforms that enhance trade and border security.
“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.
During the mission, the delegation held technical sessions, received executive briefings and toured major operational facilities at the Beitbridge Border Post, including freight terminals, cargo processing centres, scanning operations, traffic management systems and integrated information and communication technology infrastructure.
Officials said the exercise offered practical insights into how technology, coordinated border governance and institutional collaboration have transformed Beitbridge into one of Africa’s most efficient border crossings.
The Joint Communiqué signed by the participating customs administrations identified the Sèmè-Kraké Corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic, and the Mfum-Ekok Corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon, as priority routes for implementing One-Stop Border Posts and coordinated border management systems.
Director-General of the Cameroon Customs Administration, Fongod Nuvaga, stressed that stronger collaboration among African customs agencies is essential to eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks while maintaining effective border security.
“Customs administrations must work together to remove procedural bottlenecks that hinder legitimate trade while maintaining effective border controls. Stronger regional cooperation will enable African countries to fully harness the opportunities created by the AfCFTA and accelerate economic integration across the continent,” he said.
Similarly, Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, said the Beitbridge experience provides practical solutions for improving border efficiency across West Africa through harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management systems and stronger institutional partnerships.
Also speaking, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, said the objective of the benchmarking mission was to expose participating countries to governance models and operational systems that have made modern border posts successful across Africa.
“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 ended with Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon signing a Joint Communiqué committing the three countries to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to implement the recommendations from the visit. The countries also pledged to harmonise border procedures, improve digital interoperability, strengthen coordinated risk management systems and invest in continuous capacity development for customs personnel.
The initiative is expected to improve border efficiency, reduce delays in cargo movement, enhance revenue collection and strengthen regional trade as African countries continue to implement the objectives of the AfCFTA.