The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened a technical meeting of Customs Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and transit experts from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia ahead of the official launch and deployment of the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT), scheduled to take place on 30–31 October 2025 in Monrovia, Liberia.

The meeting brings together senior Customs ICT and transit experts from the three Member States to finalise operational modalities for the effective rollout of the SIGMAT platform. The official launch ceremony, to be held on Friday, 31 October 2025, will bring together the Heads of Customs Administrations of Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia, alongside representatives of the ECOWAS Commission and development partners.

Developed as a home-grown interconnectivity solution for the ECOWAS region, SIGMAT enables the electronic exchange of transit data between Customs administrations to enhance the security and integrity of goods in transit, safeguard government revenue, and facilitate seamless cross-border trade across the region.

While welcoming the experts to the meeting, Mr. Gabriel M. Kromah, Senior Officer, Management Information Division (MISD/ASYCUDA) at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), commended the three Member States for their sustained efforts and collaboration towards achieving SIGMAT connectivity.

In her opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, underscored the importance of the deployment of SIGMAT between Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea as a major step toward simplifying and digitalising trade across the region. She noted that the initiative will enhance customs efficiency, secure government revenue, reduce transit delays, and make West Africa’s trade corridors more competitive through ICT-driven reforms.

“ECOWAS Commission is committed to ensuring that all transit corridors in the region are automated and benefit from the deployment of SIGMAT. This will facilitate trade and make our trade corridors competitive, boosting the economic fortunes of ECOWAS Member States,” she said.

The deployment of SIGMAT between Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia marks another major step in ECOWAS’ efforts to promote regional integration and seamless trade facilitation through digital interconnectivity among Member States.