Benin-Nigeria: Sèmè-Kraké launches real-time customs exchange

The system, referred to as the Customs Declaration Exchange System (CDES), will connect the systems of both administrations, allowing a declaration registered on one side of the border to be visible on the other. Nigerian Customs Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi stated that the project also relies on harmonized procedures, joint risk management, and improved coordination of controls.

The approach was reviewed during a joint assessment of the Sèmè-Kraké one-stop border post. Beninese and Nigerian teams examined the state of infrastructure, existing procedures, and the conditions necessary for further interoperability between the two services.

Benin Customs Director General Raouf Malehossou supported the principle of closer integration of operations. According to officials from both administrations, the goal is to avoid duplicate formalities, expedite cargo processing, and facilitate trade for small merchants, who are particularly numerous along this corridor.

A new step in the digitization of the corridor

This initiative builds on previous efforts between Benin and Nigeria to digitize regional transit. In May 2025, the two countries launched a pilot of the Interconnected Goods Management System (SIGMAT) at Sèmè-Kraké, with support from ECOWAS, to improve cargo visibility and reduce diversions and delays.

Discussions in September 2026 now focus on a broader data exchange between the two customs administrations, extending beyond mere transit monitoring. Adewale Adeniyi indicated that the system’s operational launch would depend on connectivity between the systems, with initial operations expected to commence in the coming months. Technical teams are set to continue work on interconnection and harmonization at the Sèmè-Kraké post.