The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commissioned a dedicated facility for women engaged in cross-border trade along the Seme-Krake corridor, in a move aimed at promoting formal, efficient and safer trading between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
The facility was commissioned on Friday, September 11, 2026, during a joint assessment visit to the Seme-Krake Border Post by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Speaking at a press briefing during the visit, Adeniyi said women account for more than 70 per cent of informal cross-border traders across Africa, noting that many face challenges that discourage them from using formal trade channels.
He said women traders operating along the corridor had reportedly experienced harassment, extortion and delays, stressing that such barriers could push traders away from the formal economy.
According to him, when border processes become slow, opaque, intimidating or complex, traders with the least capacity to absorb additional costs are the most affected.
Adeniyi explained that the new facility was designed to address the specific needs of women traders by providing simplified procedures for small consignments, clear information in languages they understand, accessible points of contact and protection against informal demands.
He added that the facility would also provide a channel through which women traders who experience poor treatment could lodge complaints and seek redress.
The CGC stressed that the success of economic integration between Nigeria and Benin should be measured by the efficiency of movement across the border rather than the number of agreements signed or ceremonial engagements held between the two countries.
Also speaking, the Director General of Benin Customs, Raouf Aboudou, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the initiative, describing stronger cooperation between the two Customs administrations as essential to integrating trade within the sub-region and promoting economic growth.
Aboudou said closer collaboration would facilitate legitimate trade while strengthening controls against illicit activities along the border.
The ceremony also featured a friendly football match between the Seme Area Command team and Badagry United Football Club, with the Customs team emerging victorious by a 2–0 scoreline.
