Validation of the roadmap for deploying the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) between Benin and Nigeria was a key outcome of a meeting held on May 20, 2025, in Sèmè-Kraké. This meeting involved IT experts from both countries.
The roadmap outlines several phases, including a test phase aimed at enhancing communication between servers in Benin and Nigeria. It also includes configurations necessary for starting production within the basic system, requiring technicians to work on servers in each state.
Further elements of the roadmap include activating a pilot site and evaluating message exchanges over two weeks. Training and awareness initiatives are planned for customs officers and economic operators in both countries. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), will provide technical and financial assistance.
The roadmap also mentions extending SIGMAT to other borders between Benin and Nigeria, alongside planning an official launch ceremony in Sèmè-Kraké.
Prior to validating the roadmap, experts reviewed progress on SIGMAT deployment. They identified necessary actions such as developing regulatory frameworks, configuring communication nodes, planning tests, technically configuring SIGMAT, activating pilot sites, and generalizing interconnection between states.
The ECOWAS Commission presented updates on managing the Sèmè-Kraké checkpoint and equipment used by officers. Future meetings are planned to ensure compliance with bilateral agreements signed by Benin and Nigeria.
Osamwonyi Ehigie Uzamere, Head of the IT Unit at Nigerian Customs Service and Chairman of the meeting, expressed gratitude for participants’ contributions. He emphasized collaboration among experts to ensure SIGMAT’s success.
Aïssata Yaméogo Koffi from ECOWAS congratulated participants on their dedication during the meeting. Officially launched in 2019, SIGMAT aims to provide an integrated customs IT solution to expedite goods transit across ECOWAS member states’ borders. It is designed to reduce delays, combat customs fraud, enhance regional economic integration, and improve public finance management.
SIGMAT facilitates intra-regional trade by reducing customs procedures and promoting economic growth within ECOWAS. It reflects ECOWAS’s efforts to manage trade efficiently, strengthen West Africa’s competitiveness internationally, and increase transparency in goods movement within the community.