The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs administrations of Benin and Cameroon have intensified discussions with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on a regional border-modernization program.
The initiative, discussed at a high-level engagement in Cairo was aimed at strengthening trade facilitation, improve cross-border efficiency and advance the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada said the engagement was held at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Oct. 12.
Maiwada said the engagement followed a joint benchmarking mission to Beitbridge Border Post in Zimbabwe and subsequent technical assessments of the Mfum–Ekok and Sèmè–Kraké border corridors.
He said the engagement led by the NCS Comptroller-General (C-G), Bashir Adeniyi, brought together representatives of the three Customs administrations, Afreximbank and technical partners.
He said the participants reviewed findings from the assessment missions, identified priority interventions and explored practical pathways towards an integrated regional border-modernization program.
“Discussions focused on combining improvements in digital infrastructure, harmonised customs procedures, secure data exchange and institutional capacity development.
According to him, 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 he said, was the Customs Declarations Exchange System (CDES), designed to facilitate secure information exchange among Nigeria’s B’Odogwu, Benin’s Customs Webb and Cameroon Customs Information System (CAMCIS) digital platforms.
“Built around a common data model, the system is intended to enable export information originating in one country to support the advance preparation of import-manifest information in the receiving country.
Maiwada explained that the receiving customs administration would remain responsible for validating the information, applying national requirements, conducting risk assessments and authorising clearance.
He explained that although development and technical testing had been undertaken, further country-specific configuration, application programming interface integration, security assurance and pilot acceptance remained necessary before deployment.
He said 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, and risk-based controls.”
“At Mfum–Ekok, the assessment identified gaps in dependable power supply, connectivity, information technology equipment, cybersecurity, technical support, scanner commissioning and coordinated single-stop processing.
“At Sèmè–Kraké, key 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,” he said.
According to him, these findings underscore the need to address immediate operational deficiencies alongside a properly assessed and costed long-term modernisation programme.
To advance the initiative, he said Afreximbank outlined a proposed two-stage approach beginning with independent engineering assessments and investment-cost studies at the two border posts.
He said that this was followed by the development of separate bankable project packages for the Nigeria–Benin and Nigeria–Cameroon corridors.
He said the proposed project-preparation process would cover transaction advisory services, legal due diligence, financial modelling and the identification of appropriate implementation and financing arrangements.
The bank he added outlined the 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.
Maiwada said although no final project cost, lending commitment, borrower designation, financing arrangement or implementation contract was established, participants agreed on the importance of direct site inspections.
He said they also agreed on designated technical focal points, a clear one-, three-, and six-month implementation roadmap and a dated action matrix to guide subsequent engagement.
“The NCS, under the leadership of C-G Bashir Adeniyi and his management team, reaffirms the commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, modernising border operations and facilitating legitimate trade in line with the objectives of AfCFTA.
“The service will continue to engage with its counterparts in Benin and Cameroon, Afreximbank and relevant technical partners to advance the required assessments, clarify project-preparation arrangements, and develop practical, sustainable solutions for the two border corridors.
“This is to promote more efficient cross-border procedures, improve cargo visibility, strengthen coordinated border management and support the development of an integrated African trading environment,” he said.
