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From Godwin Tsa (Abuja)and Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Cameroon Customs Administration have launched a joint assessment of the Ekok-Mfum One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) as part of efforts to remove barriers to cross-border trade, strengthen border security and deepen regional economic integration.
The high-level exercise, held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, was themed “Leveraging the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project to Advance Seamless Cross-Border Trade and Shared Prosperity.”
The assessment brought together customs chiefs, technical experts, security agencies, development partners and representatives of communities on both sides of the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the initiative was aimed at building on the existing cooperation between the two countries and extending it to support broader regional integration. He said that despite the geographical proximity and longstanding economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon, movement of people and goods across the border remained more difficult than it should be.
“We are not building from nothing. We are taking something that works between the two of us and asking whether it can be made to work for the region and hopefully for our continent,” Adeniyi stated.
The Customs boss said the collaboration had received support from key regional and continental institutions, including the African Development Bank, ECOWAS, ECCAS, Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
According to him, the joint initiative is expected to improve the efficiency of border operations while reducing unnecessary delays and duplication in the clearance of goods and movement of travellers.
Adeniyi also disclosed that delegations from both customs administrations had recently undertaken a study tour of the Beitbridge Border Post, which links South Africa and Zimbabwe, to examine practices that could be adapted to improve operations at the Mfum-Ekok corridor.
He said technical teams from Nigeria and Cameroon were currently working to conclude a joint operational agreement, which is expected to be signed at the forthcoming C-PACT conference.
The agreement is expected to provide a framework for closer coordination between the two customs administrations and support the implementation of more efficient border management procedures.
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Director General of Cameroon Customs, Fongod Nuvaga, described the assessment as the first concrete step towards achieving more unified operations at the border.
Nuvaga stressed the importance of real-time information sharing and joint risk-management systems, particularly in reducing the multiple checks that often slow down the movement of goods and travellers.
He called for a system where cargo and travellers can be processed once by the relevant border agencies rather than subjected to repeated checks by authorities from both countries.
The proposed approach is expected to cut waiting times, lower the cost of moving goods across the border and improve the overall trading experience for businesses operating along the Nigeria-Cameroon corridor.
The initiative is also expected to enhance border security by allowing customs and other relevant agencies to share information and coordinate their activities more effectively.
The joint assessment culminated in the launch of the Mfum-Ekok Border Modernisation Initiative, a project designed to transform operations at the border through technology, improved infrastructure and coordinated customs procedures.
Driven by trade technology experts, the initiative will focus on digitising customs workflows, optimising physical infrastructure and creating a more efficient environment for legitimate trade.
The modernisation effort is expected to particularly benefit traders and businesses that depend on the Nigeria-Cameroon trade corridor, while creating opportunities for increased commerce and investment in border communities.
The initiative aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to reduce barriers to intra-African trade and create a more integrated continental market.
The Nigeria-Cameroon collaboration could also serve as a model for other African countries seeking to simplify border procedures and improve the movement of goods and people.
By strengthening customs cooperation, adopting digital processes and reducing duplication at the Mfum-Ekok-Ekok border crossing, both countries hope to turn the strategic corridor into a more efficient gateway for bilateral and regional trade.
