Nigeria and Benin Strengthen Border Surveillance with Geospatial Technology

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  and the Customs Administration of the Republic of Benin  have strengthened their collaboration on border security through a new geospatial technology partnership aimed at improving surveillance, curbing trans-border crime and facilitating legitimate trade along their shared border.

The partnership was highlighted during a strategic meeting at the ECOWAS Conference Hall at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, where officials from both countries discussed ways to enhance existing cooperation on border management. The initiative focuses on leveraging digital technologies to improve economic security and address challenges along one of West Africa’s busiest trade corridors.

Under the partnership, the Nigeria Customs Service will pilot its border management application using the World Customs Organization (WCO) satellite platform. The geospatial tool will enable customs authorities to identify vulnerable locations along the border and deploy field officers more strategically to strengthen surveillance, combat smuggling and improve operational efficiency.

The Nigeria Customs Service said the technology is already being implemented by Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo as pioneer countries. Following a recent master-class training, 19 additional African countries, including Egypt, Senegal, Kenya and Mali, have also expressed interest in adopting the platform to enhance border security and tackle illicit cross-border trade.

The initiative marks a significant step in regional customs cooperation, with Nigeria and Benin using geospatial technology to modernise border management, strengthen economic security and support safer, more efficient cross-border trade across West Africa.