Launch of the interconnected transit goods management system (SIGMAT) between Benin and Nigeria

“An efficient transit system makes a major contribution both to facilitating trade and the cross-border movement of goods, and to the integration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) into the global economy” This was the conviction expressed by Salifou Tiemtoré, Director of the Customs and Taxation Union of the ECOWAS Commission, on Monday 19^th of May 2025 in Sèmè-Kraké, on the border between Benin and Nigeria, at the launch of the deployment of the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) between the two countries.

This system, he explained, is an IT solution that enables the electronic exchange of messages about goods in transit, speeds up the movement of goods along trade corridors by eliminating multiple controls and anticipating risks, and speeds up the clearance of goods at customs offices of destination.

“SIGMAT is currently in its active implementation phase in the Member States. In this month of May 2025, I can assure you that it is in operation in nine ECOWAS Member States. With the exception of Guinea Bissau and Cabo Verde, all ECOWAS Member States have installed SIGMAT in their customs IT systems,” added Salifou Tiemtoré.

Today’s meeting marks a turning point in the implementation of SIGMAT in the ECOWAS region in general, and on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor in particular, he said, pointing out that this trade corridor is the most important in terms of trade volumes in the region.

After expressing the gratitude of the ECOWAS Commission to the Director General of Customs of Benin and the Comptroller General of Customs of Nigeria for their determination to facilitate trade in West Africa, he thanked the experts of the two States for their hard work to ensure the interconnection of the two countries.

According to Benin Customs Director General Adidjatou Hassan Zanouvi, SIGMAT is an ambitious project that should ultimately make cross-border trade between Benin and Nigeria more fluid.

She recalled the many advantages of interconnecting the IT customs systems of the administrations of the two States, namely more efficient handling of goods in transit, faster processing, combating fraudulent practices and controlling trade flows between Benin and Nigeria.

‘It is for these reasons that I nourish the hope that at the end of this meeting, effective practical solutions will be found by the technicians and executives of our respective administrations so that the deployment of SIGMAT between our two countries becomes a reality’, she added.

Like Mrs Adidjatou Hassan Zanouvi, Nigeria’s Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, also praised the establishment of SIGMAT by the ECOWAS Commission with the support of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).

He emphasised the other considerable advantages of this system, which, in his view, aims to digitise and harmonise customs transit operations between ECOWAS member states, improve the visibility of goods in transit, combat diversion and fraud along the corridors, simplify border procedures and reduce delays, and facilitate trade while securing public revenue.

“Today’s launch is more than a technical feat, it is a powerful demonstration of regional solidarity and institutional leadership. Let’s harness the momentum of this milestone to transform our trade corridors into engines of prosperity, security and opportunity for the people of West Africa”, noted Mr Adeniyi.

After the launch, Mrs Aïssata Yaméogo Koffi, in charge of Rules of Origin and Community Pre-requisite Processing at the ECOWAS Commission, gave a presentation on the implementation of SIGMAT and the state of its deployment between Benin and Nigeria.

Officially launched in 2019, SIGMAT is designed to provide an integrated customs IT solution to facilitate faster processing of goods in transit across the borders of ECOWAS member states, and in turn boost intra-regional trade.

By facilitating the exchange of financial information, SIGMAT will make it possible to reduce the time taken by goods in transit across the borders of ECOWAS member states, combat customs fraud and tax revenue losses, strengthen regional economic integration and improve the efficient management of public finances at national and regional level.

Clearly, this system aims to facilitate intra-regional trade, reduce customs red tape and promote economic growth in the ECOWAS region. It reflects the considerable efforts made by ECOWAS to improve trade and transport management, boost West Africa’s international competitiveness and increase transparency in the movement of goods within the Community.