en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs Administration of the Republic of Benin have launched a partnership based on geospatial technology aimed at enhancing border security surveillance, curbing cross-border crime, and facilitating legitimate trade along their shared border.

During a strategic meeting held in the ECOWAS Conference Hall at the Sèmè-Kraké Joint Border Post, officials from both sides discussed specific ways to deepen collaboration under the existing framework of border management cooperation. The partnership focuses on leveraging digital technology to enhance economic security and address challenges facing one of West Africa's busiest trade corridors.

Under this cooperation plan, the Nigeria Customs Service will pilot the use of the World Customs Organization (WCO) satellite platform's border management application. This geospatial tool enables customs authorities to identify surveillance gaps along the border and deploy field personnel more strategically to strengthen monitoring, combat smuggling, and improve operational efficiency.

The Nigeria Customs Service stated that Nigeria, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, as the first group of countries, have implemented this technology. Following a recent specialized training, 19 other African countries, including Egypt, Senegal, Kenya, and Mali, have also expressed interest in adopting the platform to enhance border security and combat illegal cross-border trade.

This initiative represents a new development in regional customs cooperation. By modernizing border management through geospatial technology, Nigeria and Benin aim to strengthen economic security and support the construction of a more efficient and secure cross-border trade environment in the West African region.