…As Nigeria, Benin Republic sign bilateral pact
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin took a significant step toward deeper bilateral integration yesterday, by signing an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation and serving as a model for broader Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional integration.
The Nigeria-Benin integration effort builds on recent initiatives such as the deployment of the SIGMAT digital Customs system at their shared border to improve trade efficiency and security, reflecting a growing commitment to practical cooperation
The ceremony took place at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, with President Bola Tinubu and his Benin Republic counterpart, Patrice Talon in attendance.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signed the agreement alongside Benin’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Shegun Adjadi Bakari.
President Talon described the pact as a bold move toward actionable regional integration, stating, “President Tinubu and I have agreed on full integration between Benin and Nigeria. The responsibility now lies with our ministers to implement it. Benin and Nigeria are more than twins—we are the same people. Let us show the region that integration is possible.”
Highlighting challenges facing West Africa’s regional body, Talon called for urgent reforms to revive ECOWAS, which he described as “in crisis.” He cited failures in key regional projects like the West African Gas Pipeline and the West African Power Pool, blaming administrative bottlenecks and lack of decisive action. “It is ridiculous. This failure of regional cooperation wastes resources and undermines integration,” he said, noting Benin’s need to import gas from Qatar due to pipeline delays.
Talon also criticized logistical hurdles on the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, emphasizing that “a businessman should be able to travel from Lagos to Abidjan in hours—not days—without facing harassment at multiple checkpoints. That is not integration.”
He warned that poverty remains the region’s gravest threat to democracy and stability, urging leaders to prioritize integration as a means to create wealth and opportunity. Referring to global trade tensions, Talon remarked, “The trade war should remind us that nations act in their interest, and so should we. At some point, we may even have to thank President Trump for that reminder.”
President Tinubu, who had previously emphasised the need for synergy between Nigeria and Benin, welcomed the agreement and the call for action. He noted: “We are one. No other nation like ours should be worried. What is affecting us is a lack of synergy. We have not developed the necessary economic synergy that will develop our two nations. We must have common economic principles and priorities.”
The summit also featured statements from other West African leaders, including Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio and Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai, who stressed the importance of political commitment to trade integration and regional economic transformation.
This agreement and the summit precede the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which will hold today, June 22, 2025, in Abuja, where further discussions on regional integration and prosperity are expected.