Nigeria: Nigeria, Benin Integrate Customs Systems to Cut Border Delays

What the report says

Nigeria and Benin Republic are moving to connect their Customs systems to reduce congestion and speed up movement at the Sèmè-Kraké border, according to Daily Trust, as distributed by AllAfrica. The plan was outlined during a joint assessment of the One-Stop Border Post by Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Benin Customs officials.

The proposed arrangement would allow the two administrations to exchange declarations, manifests, transit data, risk profiles and enforcement alerts in real time. Daily Trust reported that both sides currently operate at the same facility but still lack a shared digital platform, which can create delays and duplication in processing legitimate goods and travellers.

Adeniyi said the initiative is part of a broader review of border operations and facilities, and he described Sèmè-Kraké as a major gateway on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor. Benin Customs Director-General Raouf Malehossou Aboudou welcomed closer coordination, saying a joint border post could reduce pressure on traders and other users while improving Customs efficiency.

The development matters because the crossing handles a large share of regional transit trade and is important for informal commerce as well as formal freight. More broadly, efforts to harmonize Customs procedures are a common feature of border reform in West Africa, where governments seek to balance security checks with faster trade flows.