The recent regional meeting in Praia, Cabo Verde, focused on evaluating and monitoring the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT) for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The meeting concluded with recommendations aimed at enhancing the system's effectiveness in facilitating customs data exchange among West African countries.
Participants urged the ECOWAS Commission to organize a meeting specifically for IT experts in customs operations from Member States. This is intended to improve technical understanding and ownership of SIGMAT. Additionally, the commission was asked to provide technical assistance to countries needing support for SIGMAT deployment.
Member States were encouraged to conduct training sessions on SIGMAT for customs officers and stakeholders involved in transit processes. These sessions aim to enhance technical mastery and understanding of new procedures associated with SIGMAT.
For those Member States not yet connected to the SIGMAT e-Hub in Lomé, Togo, an expedited connection process was advised. This step is seen as essential for full deployment across the community and improving connectivity within the network. Furthermore, Member States are required to submit lists of non-automated land borders to the ECOWAS Commission.
The importance of bilateral interactions between neighboring states was also highlighted as a means of addressing operational challenges related to SIGMAT effectively.
At present, SIGMAT operates in 12 out of 15 ECOWAS Member States and is being tested in Sierra Leone but remains non-functional in Cabo Verde and Guinea-Bissau. A roadmap was adopted during the meeting for connecting all member states to SIGMAT, along with an introduction to Version 2.0 of the system which includes enhanced functionalities.
Osamwonyi Uzamere from Nigerian Customs Services praised the quality of discussions and urged diligent implementation efforts across countries. Representing ECOWAS leadership, Mr. Salifou Tiemtoré thanked participants for adopting recommendations critical for ensuring SIGMAT's success regionally.
Launched officially in 2019, SIGMAT aims at streamlining goods transit processing across ECOWAS borders by facilitating seamless financial data exchange. It seeks to reduce border transit times, combat fraud and revenue losses, strengthen economic integration, and improve public financial management efficiency both nationally and regionally.
Ultimately, achieving success with SIGMAT will depend on strong government support alongside political commitment towards advancing economic integration within ECOWAS.
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