NIGERIA, BENIN REPUBLIC SIGN JOINT TRADE FRAMEWORK TO BOOST REGIONAL INTEGRATION
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have signed a joint trade framework aimed at dismantling trade barriers, enhancing economic development, and strengthening regional integration across West Africa.
The agreement was formalised during a high-level meeting held on Saturday at the Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances in Cotonou, bringing 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 step forward in West Africa’s regional economic strategy.”
“This agreement signals strong political will from both countries to pursue a progressive and inclusive trade relationship,” Oduwole said, recalling that Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Talon had earlier signed a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the West African Economic Summit. That political pact, she added, has now begun to translate into actionable policies.
“Our joint commitment is to dismantle barriers, improve logistics, and ensure that trade becomes a tool for job creation and regional prosperity,” she stated. Oduwole further noted that four thematic working groups focused on trade facilitation, enforcement, data sharing, and infrastructure have been established to implement the agreement.
She also reiterated Nigeria’s goal of becoming not just a regional trade leader, but a global advocate for fair and inclusive international commerce.
Nigeria’s Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s full commitment to executing the framework in line with national trade objectives.
“What we have witnessed today is the culmination of intensive technical meetings between Nigeria and Benin Customs officials over the past 48 hours. We’ve developed a joint framework that reflects our Presidents’ shared vision for economic growth,” Adeniyi stated.
He revealed that a formal MoU building on this framework is expected to be signed by the first quarter of 2026. He also announced the identification of new trade corridors, the activation of system connectivity between both countries, and the introduction of corridor-based solutions to ease transit and transhipment.
“We are committed to removing trade barriers that hinder local businesses. These efforts will particularly benefit small and medium enterprises,” he said.
Adeniyi also extended appreciation to the Director-General of Benin Customs, Mrs. Adidjatou Hassan Zanouvi, for her collaboration and Benin’s recent endorsement of Nigeria’s leadership at the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
As part of the bilateral engagement, both delegations toured the Cotonou Port to assess port operations and modernisation plans. They also visited the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post to reinforce their shared commitment to coordinated and efficient border management.
The new trade framework is expected to significantly improve cross-border commerce and set a benchmark for regional economic cooperation within ECOWAS.
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