Togo, Ghana, Benin: ECOWAS pushes for customs interconnection at the Noépé-Akanu border post

On 13 August 2026, a dialogue bringing together public authorities, transport operators, traders, customs brokers and private-sector representatives was held at the joint control post of Noépé-Akanu, on the border between Togo and Ghana, with Benin also taking part.

Three priorities were identified to speed up the practical implementation of commitments already made within the ECOWAS zone: continuing to digitise procedures, making joint control posts fully operational, and harmonising the application of community standards across the three countries' customs administrations.

Participants identified the wider roll-out of interconnected customs systems, in particular through the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT), as the central lever for reducing crossing times, arbitrary practices and the risk of corruption at borders.

This affects importers and freight forwarders moving goods in transit, notably from the ports of Lomé and Cotonou, across the Togo-Ghana land border or towards Benin, as well as customs brokers in the three countries who already use SIGMAT to track goods in transit electronically.