The Nigeria Customs Service has strengthened its commitment to coordinated border management, trade facilitation, and regional economic integration following a high-level benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The mission brought together the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi; Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Mr Fongod Nuvaga; Director-General of Benin Customs, Mr Raouf Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise in the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Mrs Lonto Ndlovu; as well as the Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu.
In a statement on Tuesday, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that the event was organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank as part of ongoing efforts to deepen intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Speaking during the session and adoption of the Joint Communiqué, Adeniyi described the mission as a strategic opportunity for African customs administrations to move beyond discussions on border reform and “embrace practical implementation of modern border management systems.”
He noted that the lessons from the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts, both in Zimbabwe, reinforced the importance of coordinated institutional frameworks, digital integration and collaborative leadership in transforming Africa’s trade corridors.
“Beitbridge has demonstrated that border modernisation is not merely about infrastructure development. The most important lesson for us is that sustainable reform depends on coordinated institutions, clear accountability, digital interoperability, and professional human capital. We are leaving here with a renewed commitment to translate these lessons into practical solutions that will strengthen trade facilitation, security, and economic growth across our region,” Adeniyi said.
Also speaking during the ceremony, Director-General of the Cameroon Customs Administration, Fongod Nuvaga, emphasised the importance of collective action in improving trade corridors across the continent.
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He observed that customs administrations must work together to remove procedural “bottlenecks” that hinder legitimate trade while maintaining effective border controls.
According to him, stronger regional cooperation will enable African countries to fully harness the opportunities created by the AfCFTA and accelerate economic integration across the continent.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Aboudou, noted that the lessons from Beitbridge offer practical pathways for improving border efficiency within West Africa.
He stressed that harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management systems and stronger institutional partnerships will be critical to achieving seamless trade movement across regional corridors.
He added that sustained collaboration among neighbouring customs administrations remains essential for delivering measurable improvements in trade facilitation and revenue assurance.
Earlier, Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion at Afreximbank, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, highlighted the significance of the benchmarking exercise as part of the bank’s broader strategy to support trade-enabling infrastructure across Africa.
He explained that the objective was not simply to showcase physical infrastructure but to expose participating administrations to the governance structures, operational models and institutional reforms that underpin the success of modern border posts.
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