Customs officials meet in Lomé to discuss SIGMAT deployment

On June 24 and 25, 2024, a meeting of Customs Directors General from member states of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo) was held in Lomé, Togo. The purpose was to discuss the deployment of the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT). This meeting was organized under the auspices of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme Task Force and follows recommendations from a high-level ministerial meeting in Cotonou held from October 3 to 5, 2023. The aim is to address obstacles to trade along the corridor.

The event saw participation from representatives of the five corridor member states, members of the ETLS Task Force, and officials from the ECOWAS Commission’s Customs Union and Taxation Directorate. In his welcome address, Mr. Piguendelewe Akaya, Director of Customs Operations representing the Togolese Commissioner for Customs and Indirect Taxation, acknowledged his colleagues and commended the initiative to invite customs administration leaders to discuss transit automation.

Speaking on behalf of Mrs. Massandjé Litse-Toure, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Salifou Tiemtore thanked Togolese authorities and the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) for hosting the meeting. He highlighted Togo's significant role in regional integration and transit trade while urging customs officials to tackle ongoing challenges impeding transit along the corridor.

HE Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Chairman of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme Task Force, emphasized ECOWAS's foundation on free movement and economic integration as key drivers for development towards a peaceful and prosperous region. "That’s why," he stated on behalf of the ETLS Task Force, "he welcomed the SIGMAT initiative," which aims to secure transit between member states while boosting customs revenues crucial for state development. He reiterated the Task Force’s commitment to supporting customs administrations in fully deploying SIGMAT across West Africa.

After two days of discussions, customs administrations committed to connecting to SIGMAT e-hub by September 2024 and organizing awareness-raising and training activities related to SIGMAT for their partners and administrations. They also urged the ECOWAS Commission to facilitate other member states' connection to SIGMAT e-Hub by September 2024 and establish a SIGMAT website as an information tool ensuring transparency in its operation.