By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Customs administrations of the Republic of Benin and the Republic of Cameroon, has intensified discussions with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on a regional border-modernisation programme aimed at strengthening trade facilitation and advancing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada.
According to the statement, the high-level engagement, held at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on 12th October, 2026, followed a joint benchmarking mission to Beitbridge Border Post in Zimbabwe and subsequent technical assessments of the Mfum-Ekok and Seme-Krake border corridors.
The engagement, led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, brought together representatives of the three Customs administrations, Afreximbank and technical partners to review findings from the assessment missions, identify priority interventions and explore pathways towards an integrated modernisation programme.
Discussions focused on improvements in digital infrastructure, harmonised Customs procedures, secure data exchange, institutional capacity development and investments in cargo scanners, weighbridges, access roads, reliable electricity, connectivity, traffic management and modern border-processing facilities. The meeting also considered Afreximbank’s potential participation in the next Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) and progress towards regional and continental transit-guarantee arrangements.
A major component of the engagement was the Customs Declaration Exchange System (CDES), designed to facilitate secure information exchange among Nigeria’s B’Odogwu platform, Benin’s Customs Webb and Cameroon’s CAMCIS. Built around a common data model, the system is intended to enable export information originating in one country to support advance preparation of import-manifest information in the receiving country, thereby reducing duplication and improving predictability of cross-border transactions.
The receiving Customs administration will remain responsible for validating the information, applying national requirements, conducting risk assessments and authorising clearance. Although development and technical testing have been undertaken, further country-specific configuration, API integration, security assurance and pilot acceptance remain necessary before deployment.
The discussions drew extensively on findings from the July 2026 Beitbridge benchmarking mission and subsequent assessments of the two priority corridors. The Beitbridge experience demonstrated the importance of treating a modern border as an integrated operational ecosystem encompassing traffic segmentation, pre-arrival processing, risk-based controls, cargo scanning, transit monitoring, electronic payments, IT command centres, utilities, maintenance and effective governance.
At Mfum-Ekok, the assessment identified gaps in dependable power supply, connectivity, IT equipment, cybersecurity, technical support, scanner commissioning and coordinated single-stop processing. At Seme-Krake, challenges included incomplete joint procedures and live data exchange, non-functional cargo-scanning and weighing facilities, unreliable electricity, traffic congestion, inconsistent operating hours and unresolved responsibilities for maintaining shared infrastructure.
To advance the initiative, Afreximbank outlined a proposed two-stage approach beginning with independent engineering assessments and investment-cost studies at the two border posts, followed by development of separate bankable project packages for the Nigeria-Benin and Nigeria-Cameroon corridors.
The proposed project-preparation process would cover transaction advisory services, legal due diligence, financial modelling and identification of appropriate implementation and financing arrangements. The Bank also outlined potential use of its Project Preparation Facility, while technical partners, TMP and Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited, expressed willingness in principle to consider self-financing the preparatory work.
Although no final project cost, lending commitment, borrower designation or implementation contract was established, participants agreed on the importance of direct site inspections, designated technical focal points and a clear one, three and six-month implementation roadmap.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, modernising border operations and facilitating legitimate trade in line with AfCFTA objectives, noting that it will continue to engage its counterparts in Benin and Cameroon, Afreximbank and technical partners to develop practical, sustainable solutions for the two corridors.
