…to unlock trade, infrastructure, and customs opportunities
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have commenced formal steps to implement the bilateral Economic Cooperation Agreement signed during the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit held in Abuja in June 2025.
The move followed a high-level two-day bilateral meeting held from August 1–2 in Cotonou, where senior officials from both countries gathered to outline a structured framework for collaboration across key economic sectors.
Presenting the outcomes of the meeting, Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, noted that the agreement will focus on four thematic areas: Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and Private Sector Engagement, Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation and Transport Infrastructure and Storage
She announced that technical working groups would be established to deliberate on each area and present detailed reports in Abuja in the coming weeks, ahead of formal negotiations of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) later this year.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, described the implementation as a significant step toward achieving the broader objectives of regional integration championed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
She emphasised the importance of strengthening bilateral ties as a means of ensuring prosperity and stability across the sub-region.
The meeting culminated in the endorsement of a Framework for Enhanced Economic Cooperation, which will guide the drafting of the MoU.
The document, expected to be completed by Q1 2026, is designed to harmonise trade policies, streamline customs operations, promote cross-border investments, and improve logistics infrastructure between both countries.
A joint communiqué signed at the end of the Cotonou meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to deepening bilateral trade, enhancing private sector collaboration, and fostering inclusive economic growth.
The Nigerian delegation was led by Oduwole and included Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of Customs, and Nura Rimi, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Benin’s delegation was headed by Romuald Wadagni, Senior Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and included Yvon Detchénou, Minister of Justice and Legislation, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, Minister of Industry and Trade
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Adebayo Thomas, that the Framework Agreement reflects a shared commitment to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria–Benin economic relations through mutually beneficial policies and institutional coordination.
Negotiations on the text of the MoU are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the signing targeted for the first quarter of 2026.
