Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon move to modernise borders with Afreximbank

Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon are working with Afreximbank on a regional border modernisation programme to improve cross-border trade and push the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Nigeria Customs Service said the talks held at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on October 12, 2026, were led by Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi.

NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada said in an Abuja statement on Sunday that the meeting brought together the three customs administrations, Afreximbank and technical partners to review assessment findings and identify priority interventions. The programme targets infrastructure gaps, customs procedures, digital information exchange and cargo movement along the Nigeria-Benin and Nigeria-Cameroon corridors.

Digital customs link planned

The discussions focused on the Customs Declarations Exchange System, a proposed mechanism for secure information exchange among the three countries’ digital customs platforms. It is designed to connect Nigeria’s B’Odogwu, Benin’s Customs Webb and Cameroon’s Customs Information System, or CAMCIS. Export information generated in one country would support advance preparation of import documentation in the receiving country.

Maiwada said the system is built around a common data model to improve information sharing and speed up cross-border processing. The receiving country’s customs administration would still validate the information, apply national regulations, conduct risk assessments and authorise cargo clearance. Development and technical testing have been done, but country-specific configuration, application programming interface integration, security assessments and pilot acceptance are still required before deployment.

The talks also covered Afreximbank’s possible participation in the next Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade, or C-PACT, and progress on regional and continental transit guarantee arrangements. The measures are meant to strengthen coordination among customs authorities, improve cargo visibility and reduce procedural bottlenecks.

Corridor assessments expose gaps

Assessments of the two priority corridors found infrastructure and operational problems. At the Mfum-Ekok border between Nigeria and Cameroon, the review identified unreliable electricity, poor connectivity, inadequate information technology equipment, cybersecurity concerns and insufficient technical support. It also flagged the commissioning of cargo scanners and the need for coordinated single-stop border processing.

At the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin, the assessment found gaps in joint operating procedures and live data exchange, alongside non-functional cargo scanning and weighing facilities. The corridor also faces unreliable electricity, traffic congestion, inconsistent operating hours and unresolved responsibilities for maintaining shared infrastructure. Maiwada said the findings reinforced the need to fix immediate operational shortcomings while developing a properly assessed and costed long-term modernisation programme.

The July 2026 benchmarking mission to Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge Border Post also informed the discussions. Participants examined how infrastructure, traffic management, pre-arrival processing and risk-based controls could be integrated into an efficient border management system.

Afreximbank proposes two-stage preparation

Afreximbank outlined a proposed two-stage approach. The first stage would involve independent engineering assessments and investment-cost studies at the Mfum-Ekok and Sèmè-Kraké border posts. The second would develop separate bankable project packages for the Nigeria-Cameroon and Nigeria-Benin corridors.

The NCS said the proposed project preparation process would cover transaction advisory services, legal due diligence, financial modelling and the identification of suitable financing and implementation arrangements. Afreximbank also outlined the potential use of its Project Preparation Facility. Technical partners TMP and Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited expressed willingness in principle to consider self-financing the preparatory work.

The meeting did not establish a final project cost, lending commitment, designated borrower, financing structure or implementation contract.

Earlier this year, the AfCFTA Secretariat selected Nigeria as the pilot country for the implementation of its Simplified Trade Regime in West Africa. A delegation led by Pedro Estevao visited Nigeria recently for engagements with the NCS to accelerate the implementation of the STR at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

For Nigerian businesses, the border plan could ease cargo movement and cut delays if the digital links and corridor upgrades are delivered. The absence of a final cost, financing structure and implementation contract means the project remains at preparation stage.