Dr. Omar Tulay, president of the Committee on West African Countries, brought criticism of the inadequate border infrastructure during a high-level visit to the Benin Republic of Nigeria on Wednesday, calling for urgent reforms to protect the regional freedom movement agenda.
“This is one of the busiest and most strategic border message boards in West Africa,” Tulay said, speaking to officials in Nigeria and Beninese. “Even so, we are facing expensive facilities: scanners, lighting systems, and simply non-functioning bridges. That's not acceptable.”
Twolay, whose last visit to the border was over 16 years ago, said he found that despite the large investments, the core ECOWAS infrastructure was being ignored.
“We can't justify millions of people spent on idle equipment. Our citizens expect consequences, not excuses,” he said.
ECOWAS leaders emphasized that while local agencies are in charge of initiating infrastructure, the responsibility for maintenance lies with individual member states.
“If the bulb goes out, it should not be called to replace the Ecowas. Member States must step up and take ownership,” he pointed out.
The committee's president also criticized the spread of checkpoints within its member states, claiming it was inconsistent with the spirit of the freedom movement set out in the ECOWAS protocol.
“Why are there multiple customs and immigration posts in the same corridor? It irritates travelers, delays trade and creates opportunities for corruption,” he said.
In pursuit of transparency, Twolay urged authorities to crack down on informal payments.
“We received a troublesome report that citizens are being asked to pay without receipts. This will damage the trust. If the fee is legal, you must receive a receipt. Duration!” The Tory was declared.
However, he made it clear that that free movement does not mean a free pass for everyone.
“Our people must understand that valid ID is required for travel. Safety and freedom must go hand in hand,” Tulay said.
Despite the set-up, ECOWAS leaders said they were encouraged to improve cooperation with a joint commitment from Nigeria and Benin.
“There's a possibility with this border post,” he said. “But potential isn't enough. We have to act and act quickly.”
He pledged that ECOWAS will improve operations, address infrastructure failures, and provide a full report with recommendations to remove failures.
“If people and goods cannot move freely, we cannot build truly integrated regions.
“And if our infrastructure fails, we fail people. That's a mistake we can't afford,” he said.
Benlamargo, Nigerian Customs Manager at the Lagos Sem border, provided a rigorous assessment of the situation.
“The scanners are installed, but they are not working. Since I reported them here on February 12th, they have been making it unfunctional. These scanners can detect things that the human eye can't. If you manually inspect your cargo, you may miss the hidden deep inside of drugs and dangerous goods.
Oramalugo has listed a set of serious issues that hinder the operation.
“There is no light in the pedestrian passageways, and criminals take over the area at night. There is no roof for those passing by. There is no water in the office. Every morning, workers can get the Jerrycans to get water and make them work. This is not acceptable for such a critical facility.
He said, “We have no electricity in Sem at all. We are completely dependent on Benin. And when their power disappears, we remain completely in the dark. This is Nigeria's number one border, stitching together the entire French-speaking world, but we are not connected to the grid across the nation.”
Customs managers also raised concerns about the impact of economic policy and double taxation.
“Products coming from Benin in transit will be taxed there and again in Nigeria. This will block trade. Importers are avoiding this corridor. Both countries must follow internationally recognized transport rules,” said the customer executive.
A major theme during the visit was language barriers among the officers.
“I can't even communicate with Beninese's counterpart. We need all across Ecowas to learn both English and French duties from elementary school through university. If we don't pass French at one level, it's a way to prepare future officers for the next officer,” Olamargo said.
He said, “The scanner doesn't work and spends a lot of time checking the product manually. It's a security risk. The pedestrian intersection is dark at night and people are afraid to use it. The roof is broken.
Oramalugo also called on ECOWAS to reduce the number of checkpoints in the international corridor.
“From here to Badaguri, I have assured that there are only three customs checkpoints. But there are still too many from other agencies. I appeal to you. We will enforce up to three checkpoints in total. This road tells the story of Nigeria.
On the Nigerian side of the border, customs officials detailed the challenges they face, from failed infrastructure to outdated equipment.
“The roof is leaking, so some computers are already damaged,” a senior official told Towray during a walkthrough at the testing facility.
“We reported it to our headquarters and nothing has been done. We need emergency repairs to this location,” he added.
Asked whether ECOWAS has been formally notified, Toray added, “It is the headquarters' responsibility to report it to ECOWAS, but it regularly highlights these issues.”
Tourey also showed pedestrian control and biometric authentication systems. However, executives pointed out a major gap in interoperability.
“Nigeria has a biometric system, but Benin isn't,” the officer explained. “When Nigeria does biometric control, that's all that is needed. There's no further checks on the Benin side.”
Joseph Divan, Nigerian commercial driver at Chinsko Company, said that terror, harassment and delays are common during cross-border trips.
“It takes 12-13 hours for unnecessary stops from Nigeria to Ghana. When we're back, they don't get in the way, but that's a nightmare,” Divan told Toulay.
He explained how border officials in Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast would request informal payments.
When asked whether receipts had been issued for these requests, Divan responded frankly.
Regarding passenger identification issues, he said the carrier is trying to implement the document requirements. “We would like Nigerians to give Ekowas passports or Ninh, and Ghana cards for Ghanaians,” he explained. “But some people still travel without valid documents. We had to make arrangements with immigration officers and make extra payments to such passengers.”
Twolay raised concerns about the practice, saying, “Given the security challenges of the region, I think transporters should insist on choosing only passengers that can be identified. We are all responsible for ensuring community safety.”
In addition to frustration, Beninese drivers explained how local integration policies are often ignored. “I congratulate Mr. President on Ecowas' efforts,” he said. “But in reality, your decisions are not respected at the ground level.”
He highlighted how some reforms were made in Benin. “Internally, there are no more police frauds, but the ECOWAS electronic system, the mechanisms that seal products and vehicles don't start here.
“Ecowas says there should be a free movement of people and products, but we see the opposition.”
Twolay reiterated Ecowas' commitment to both security and seamless trade and admitted the contradiction. “Let me be very clear. Member States have all the rights to ensure the security of their borders. However, forcing money from citizens is not acceptable and must be stopped. The Ekowas government will not tolerate it.”
The president of the committee called on customs and national authorities to work closer together with the ECOWAS protocol.
Immigration officers stationed along the SEME border are calling for an intensifying public awareness campaign on the rights and restrictions of ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol, citing widespread misconceptions between travelers and transporters.
Ekowas Ambassador Musa Nuhu from Nigeria's permanent representative described the Semi border as important to Ekowas' freedom movement agenda. “This is West Africa's busiest border in terms of the passage of goods, people and services,” he said. “And if free movement is working in West Africa, we will be able to find it at this border.”
Nuhu noted that challenges raised by local officials, such as infrastructure collapse, overlapping security checks, and operational bottlenecks, highlighted the policy-implementation gap. “It's good that they mentioned these issues to really understand what's going on along this very important border.”
Neuf also revealed that the federal government has taken steps to independently evaluate and reform the corridors. “It wasn't too long ago, but we did the same exercise along the border, without even the officials here knowing.
“President Bola Tinubu has just approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force to dismantle multiple checkpoints across the country. We are starting with the Seme-Badagry Corridor, which committee was established under federal authority.
