By Stella Odueme
Nigeria, Benin Republic and Cameroon have taken a major step towards strengthening intra-African trade and improving border efficiency by agreeing to establish a trilateral framework for coordinated border management, following a high-level benchmarking mission to Zimbabwe’s renowned Beitbridge Border Post.
The commitment was reached at the end of a five-day study visit organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to examine best practices in modern border administration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a statement said on Tuesday.
The delegation was led by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, and included the Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga; the Director-General of Benin Customs, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Mrs. Lonto Ndlovu; Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu; alongside other technical experts.
Speaking during the adoption of the Joint Communiqué on Monday, Adeniyi described the mission as a strategic opportunity for African customs administrations to move beyond discussions on border reforms to practical implementation of modern border management systems.
He said the experiences at the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts in Zimbabwe demonstrated that successful border modernisation depends on coordinated institutions, digital integration, strong leadership and professional human capital rather than infrastructure alone.
“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.
According to him, Nigeria and its regional partners would apply the lessons from Zimbabwe to strengthen trade facilitation, improve border security and promote economic growth across West and Central Africa.
During the mission, customs chiefs and technical teams participated in executive briefings and facility tours covering the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model, including its financing arrangements, operational framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.
Participants also inspected freight terminals, cargo processing centres, scanning facilities, traffic management systems and integrated ICT infrastructure that support efficient border operations at one of Africa’s busiest border crossings.
The Joint Communiqué signed at the end of the mission identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic, as well as the Mfum-Ekok corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon, as priority routes for implementing coordinated border management and One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) arrangements.
Cameroon Customs Director-General Fongod Nuvaga stressed that stronger collaboration among customs administrations is essential to eliminating procedural bottlenecks while maintaining effective border controls.
He said enhanced regional cooperation would enable African countries to maximise the opportunities created by the AfCFTA and accelerate continental economic integration.
Similarly, Benin Customs Director-General Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou said the Beitbridge experience offers practical lessons for improving border operations across West Africa.
