Nigeria, Benin Customs Deepen Cooperation to Strengthen Border Security, Trade Relations

In a renewed push to enhance border management and foster regional cooperation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, has strengthened its bilateral ties with the Benin Republic Customs Service along the Tsamiya/Sebgana border corridor.

The strategic engagement took place on Wednesday when a Nigerian delegation, led by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mahmoud Ibrahim, and the Commanding Officer of 1 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Major Shola Moses, paid a working visit to their Beninese counterparts at Sebgana.

The team was warmly received by Comptroller Arouna Dramane, Head of the Wara Border Command, Republic of Benin, alongside Beninese Customs officers, personnel of the Kebbi Command, and other border stakeholders.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Mubarak, Comptroller Ibrahim underscored the importance of collaboration between security agencies of both nations in tackling cross-border crimes and protecting shared borders.

“Security is a collective responsibility. Our visit aims to strengthen cooperation, promote intelligence sharing, and build stronger operational synergy for the safety of our officers, government assets, and border communities,” Ibrahim stated.

He reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to fostering peaceful coexistence and ensuring that legitimate trade between both nations thrives in a secure and well-coordinated environment.

In his remarks, Comptroller Dramane commended the Kebbi Area Command for the initiative, describing it as a timely and productive effort that would deepen mutual understanding and operational efficiency.

“This visit is a positive step towards consolidating the friendship between our two services. We are committed to sustaining this collaboration for improved border security and economic cooperation,” Dramane said.

The engagement concluded with a tour of Beninese Customs facilities, an exchange of goodwill messages, and a reaffirmation of commitment by both sides to maintain peace, security, and sustained cooperation along the Nigeria–Benin border.

It will be recalled that in March 2024, the NCS reopened the international border in Kamba town, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, to resume cross-border trade between Nigeria and its neighbours, Niger and Benin Republics.

The move followed the Federal Government’s decision to reopen borders with the Benin Republic after a seven-month closure, in line with the lifting of sanctions on Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following a change in government there.