By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), alongside the Customs administrations of Benin Republic and Cameroon, has taken a major step towards modernising border operations and accelerating intra-African trade after a high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The five-day mission, supported by 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 Raouf Aboudou, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials and other stakeholders to study Africa’s leading model for coordinated border management under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the adoption of the Joint Communiqué on Monday, Adeniyi described the visit as a turning point for African customs administrations, stressing that the continent must move beyond discussions and implement practical border reforms capable of driving trade, security and economic growth.
According to him, the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts have demonstrated that successful border modernisation depends not only on infrastructure but also on strong institutional coordination, digital integration, accountability and skilled personnel.
He said the lessons learnt would help Nigeria and its regional partners develop efficient border systems that would facilitate trade while strengthening security across strategic corridors.
During the mission, participants received technical briefings on the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model, including its financing structure, operational framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.
The delegation also toured freight terminals, cargo processing facilities, scanning operations, traffic management systems and integrated ICT infrastructure that have transformed Beitbridge into one of Africa’s most efficient border posts.
The Joint Communiqué signed at the end of the exercise 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 arrangements.
Cameroon Customs Director-General, Fongod Nuvaga, called for stronger collaboration among African customs administrations to eliminate procedural bottlenecks while maintaining effective border security.
He said greater regional cooperation would enable African countries to maximise the opportunities created by the AfCFTA.
His Benin counterpart, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, said the Beitbridge model provides practical lessons for improving border efficiency across West Africa through harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management and stronger institutional partnerships.
Also speaking, Afreximbank’s Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, said the exercise was designed to expose participating countries to governance structures and operational models that make modern border posts successful.
He noted that while infrastructure remains important, effective border performance depends on accountability, technology, coordination and measurable service standards.
The mission ended with Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon signing a Joint Communiqué establishing a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to implement the recommendations from the visit, while committing to harmonised customs procedures, digital interoperability, coordinated risk management and continuous capacity building for customs personnel.
