Seme–Krake: Nigeria, Benin Customs begin push for seamless border trade

…As Adeniyi reconsiders vehicle restriction under new framework

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Benin Customs Administration have stepped up efforts to transform the Seme–Krake Joint Border Post into a technology-driven, fully integrated gateway capable of supporting seamless cross-border trade along the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor.

The Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday, September 11, 2026, during the joint Nigeria-Benin Republic One-Stop Border Post assessment and commissioning at Seme.

Adeniyi hinted that the initiative will centre on connecting the Customs systems of both countries, harmonising procedures, strengthening joint risk management and enforcement, and upgrading critical infrastructure at one of West Africa’s busiest land crossings.

The exercise conducted with the Director-General of Benin Customs, Col. Raouf Malehossou Aboudou, was under the theme, “Leveraging the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project to Advance Seamless Cross-Border Trade and Shared Prosperity.”

Adeniyi said Seme–Krake should no longer be treated as a collection of infrastructure requiring isolated repairs, but as a strategic border modernisation programme designed around technology, interoperability and coordinated administration.

“What we seek to achieve here is that Sèmè–Krake be treated as a strategic border modernisation programme, and not as a series of isolated repairs,” he said.

According to him, the objective is to establish a model Joint Border Post anchored on Customs interconnectivity, joint risk management, coordinated enforcement, secure infrastructure, harmonised procedures and accountable joint governance.

Adeniyi

He stressed that although the border already possesses major physical facilities, including lanes, parking areas, offices, a weighbridge and scanner housing, the absence of full digital integration remains a major weakness.

“Without interconnectivity, this is not a joint border post. It is two border posts sharing a car park,” Adeniyi said.

He explained that Nigeria was working with Benin to establish a common data-exchange arrangement that would enable declarations lodged on one side of the border to become visible to the other in real time.

The arrangement is also expected to improve transit tracking from origin to destination and ensure that risk profiles and enforcement alerts generated by one administration reach its counterpart while they are still useful.

The CG said the programme would be complemented by the restoration of scanning capability, stronger access control, improved surveillance and lighting, as well as a standing Nigeria-Benin enforcement and intelligence mechanism for coordinated action.

Both administrations, he added, would require harmonised bilingual standard operating procedures covering cargo, passengers, inspection, transit and incident escalation, alongside joint risk management and a properly empowered management structure for shared infrastructure.

On Vehicles Restrictions

The emerging framework could also have implications for the longstanding restriction on the movement of vehicles through the Sèmè–Kraké land border.

Adeniyi indicated that the restriction could be reviewed once the interconnectivity arrangement becomes fully operational and confidence in the new border-management system is established.

His position followed an appeal by the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Sèmè Chapter, Alhaji Toyin Wasiu, who urged the authorities to lift the restriction, arguing that doing so would stimulate legitimate commercial activities and support businesses operating along the corridor.

Responding, Adeniyi said the issue should be viewed within the broader objective of achieving seamless trade rather than as an isolated concession.

He explained that once the new interconnectivity framework was operational and its benefits could be demonstrated, Customs would be better positioned to consider progressive harmonisation of existing trade restrictions.

The Nigerian Customs boss said the foundation of such progress is trust, built through compliance, transparency and effective cooperation among Customs administrations, government agencies, traders and other border stakeholders.

The implication is that greater freedom of movement and fewer restrictions would have to be supported by demonstrable compliance and a border system capable of providing governments with the confidence required to relax controls.

Adeniyi placed the Seme–Krake initiative within the wider context of Nigeria and Benin’s longstanding economic relationship.

He noted that both countries belong to the same ECOWAS community, operate under free-movement protocols and participate in the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

He described Nigeria as Benin Republic’s largest trading partner, stressing that the relationship between the two countries extends beyond the physical border.

He recalled former Benin President Patrice Talon’s description of the two countries as “more than twins” and said the statement reflected the reality of communities, families, markets and economic activities that have historically existed across the border.

“That is why the work here is different in kind from the work elsewhere. At most borders the task is to build cooperation. Here the task is to let an integration that already exists in practice express itself in procedure,” Adeniyi said.

He also recalled the bilateral commitments made by the two governments towards deeper economic integration and trade facilitation, saying the political support for stronger Nigeria-Benin economic cooperation had been repeatedly demonstrated at the highest level.

According to him, what remains is practical delivery, particularly by the Customs administrations responsible for managing the movement of goods and people across the border.

Adeniyi described Seme–Krake as critical to regional commerce because of its position on the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor, which he said carries about 70 per cent of the sub-region’s transit trade.

He described the crossing as one of the busiest land borders in West Africa, operating round the clock and serving thousands of travellers, traders and consignments.

“Every hour lost at this gate is multiplied across thousands of consignments and tens of thousands of travellers, and is paid for in the price of goods in markets from Cotonou to Lagos,” he said.

“Conversely, an hour saved here is saved for the whole region.”

He said the scale of economic activity along the corridor meant that improvements at Sèmè–Kraké would have consequences far beyond the immediate border communities.

Adeniyi further recalled that the Joint Border Post was conceived under the ECOWAS Road Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme following a decision of the Authority of Heads of State and Government at Dakar in 2003.

Construction began in 2011 and was financed by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund for ECOWAS and UEMOA at a cost of about €18.29 million.

The 17-hectare facility was commissioned in October 2018 by former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Patrice Talon of Benin. In 2022, the two governments signed a bilateral agreement on its operationalisation.

Adeniyi said the infrastructure had largely been delivered, but the technological and institutional integration required to make it a genuine joint border post had lagged behind.

He therefore described the current initiative as an attempt to move the project from physical infrastructure to operational integration.

The joint assessment examined the inspection and scanner lane, equipment condition and maintenance, cargo processing and space utilisation, Customs processing and service points, as well as the readiness of ICT infrastructure and automated data sharing.

The CG also announced the launch of a dedicated facility to address the needs of women traders operating along the corridor.

The initiative he said will provide simplified procedures for small consignments, information in languages commonly spoken by traders, accessible points of contact and a mechanism for reporting poor treatment.

Adeniyi said the objective was to encourage more women traders to participate in the formal trading system while reducing harassment, extortion and unnecessary delays.

He said the initiative formed part of the broader effort to make the border more efficient, transparent and responsive to legitimate users.

The Director-General of Benin Customs, Col. Raouf Malehossou Aboudou, commended the NCS leadership for its efforts to recalibrate border operations and improve cross-border trade.

He assured that Benin Customs would vigorously support the initiative, saying its officers were ready to work with their Nigerian counterparts to achieve the objectives of the joint border framework.

He urged both administrations to move quickly from assessment to implementation.

The Seme Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, also pledged the command’s support, saying cooperation between both administrations was critical to improving operations at the strategic crossing.

He said the command would continue to balance the facilitation of legitimate trade with border security, revenue protection and enforcement of applicable laws and restrictions.

The event was attended by traditional rulers from the host communities on both sides of the Nigeria-Benin border, as well as key stakeholders from Nigeria and Benin Republic, who participated in the assessment and discussions on strengthening cross-border trade and border operations.

The joint initiative is expected to provide a new operational foundation for the Sèmè–Kraké corridor, with digital interoperability, coordinated enforcement, harmonised procedures and mutual trust becoming the basis for progressively reducing fric,tion in legitimate cross-border trade.