WEST AFRICA TAKES A GIANT LEAP AS NIGERIA, BENIN UNVEIL LANDMARK TRADE PARTNERSHIP

Nigeria and Benin Seal Landmark Trade Pact to Boost Cross-Border Commerce and Regional Integration.

Economic integration Trade West africa Nigeria The republic of benin Regional cooperaion.
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin unveil landmark joint trade framework
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin unveil landmark joint trade framework



In a major push for economic integration and trade facilitation across West Africa, Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have unveiled a landmark joint trade framework designed to dismantle longstanding barriers to cross-border commerce.

The agreement, finalized at a high-level bilateral meeting in Cotonou over the weekend, marks a significant shift toward regional cooperation and modernized trade governance. The session, held at the Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances, brought together senior government officials, Customs chiefs, and trade experts from both countries.

Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, hailed the agreement as a “bold and strategic leap forward” in deepening economic ties and unlocking shared prosperity in West Africa.

“Our joint commitment is to dismantle barriers, improve logistics, and ensure that trade becomes a tool for job creation and regional prosperity,” She said. “The Heads of Customs of both nations have demonstrated commendable synergy, which we are expanding through four thematic working groups covering trade facilitation, enforcement, data sharing, and infrastructure,” she added.

She emphasized that the move builds on an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Talon during the West African Economic Summit. That MoU mandated the technical teams of both countries to design implementable strategies, now captured in this new framework.

Key pillars of the agreement include the establishment of four thematic working groups covering trade facilitation, enforcement, data sharing, and infrastructure, geared toward long-term coordination and mutual economic benefits.

Nigeria’s Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, affirmed the readiness of the Nigeria Customs Service to deliver on the commitments outlined in the framework. He noted that the agreement is the product of intensive 48-hour technical meetings between Customs officials of both nations.

“What we have witnessed today is the culmination of intensive technical meetings between Nigeria and Benin Customs officials over the past 48 hours,” Adeniyi remarked. “We’ve developed a joint framework that reflects our President’s shared vision for economic growth.”

He announced that a formal, binding Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be signed by Q1 2026, cementing the bilateral commitment.

To address trade delays and boost SME participation, Adeniyi revealed that both countries have identified new trade corridors and activated system connectivity for improved transhipment and transit flows. Corridor-based solutions will also be adopted to reduce bureaucratic gridlock.

The Director-General of Benin Customs, Mrs. Adidjatou Hassan Zanouvi, was also recognized for her strategic collaboration and regional diplomacy, particularly her endorsement of Nigeria’s leadership at the recent World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council meeting in Kinshasa.

As part of the broader engagement, both delegations jointly toured the Cotonou Port to assess modernization efforts and reviewed operations at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, underscoring a shared commitment to coordinated, secure, and efficient border management.

With this framework, Nigeria and Benin are not just trading goods; they are building the foundation for a more integrated, competitive, and prosperous West Africa.

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