Nigeria has advocated for the expansion of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and German Development Cooperation (GIZ) digital trade model to seaports, airports, and inland container depots (ICDs), as part of efforts to curb smuggling, reduce border delays and promote legal trade flows across West Africa.

The ECOWAS Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) trade tool is designed to digitalise and harmonise customs transit operations across member states.

The digital tool, which is being deployed in countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Ghana, and Togo, with support from the ECOWAS Commission and GIZ, is further aimed at improving the visibility of goods in transit, combating diversion and fraud along trade corridors, enhancing inter-agency coordination, simplifying border procedures, reducing delays, facilitating trade, and safeguarding state revenue.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, highlighted several challenges that have delayed the full rollout of the trade tool in Nigeria. These include the deployment of new clearance applications by the Nigeria Customs Service and the Benin Customs Administration, as well as delays in receiving technical feedback from the Benin administration at critical stages of implementation.

Adeniyi also noted varying levels of automation and ICT maturity across other Nigeria-Benin border posts, which could limit SIGMAT’s expansion beyond the Seme-Krake border in the short term. He further cited limited operational awareness among some border communities and stakeholders along transit corridors.

Adeniyi emphasised the need for more robust stakeholder sensitisation and training, particularly among transporters, clearing agents, and border agencies as well as challenges posed by language barriers during virtual and physical technical meetings.

To address these gaps, Adeniyi proposed several strategies, including the expansion of digital deployment to additional border locations such as Idiroko, Chikanda, and Katsina, with support from ECOWAS and national partners.

He also recommended strengthening bilateral communication mechanisms to ensure timely technical engagement between Nigeria and Benin. He also stressed the need for harmonisation of national legislation to support the legal framework for transit under the SIGMAT regime.

On progress made, he cited the development of a dedicated SIGMAT application built by Nigeria Customs’ in-house technical team and the integration of SIGMAT with the Unified Customs Management System (B’Odogwu Application).

On her part, the Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Adidjath Hassan Zanouvii, stated that the implementation of the system will help address cross-border issues affecting both customs administrations.

She added that the SIGMAT connectivity between Nigeria and Benin marks a significant milestone in the collective pursuit of seamless trade integration and regional economic transformation across West Africa.