The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have begun the implementation of the economic cooperation agreement between the two countries signed during the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES).
Amb. Ojukwu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by Dr Magnus Eze, her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media.
The statement is coming following a two-day meeting between officials of both countries organised to work out the framework for effective implementation of the economic cooperation agreement entered into in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
According to her, the move by both countries is also in line with the objectives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the maiden regional economic summit, in June 2025, in Abuja.
She praised President Bola Tinubu’s foresight in putting the summit together, describing it as a catalyst for the economic growth of the region.
She also congratulated Republic of Benin@65th independence anniversary, saying bilateral relations between the two West African neighbours had grown from informal interactions to structured, strategic partnerships, amidst challenges ranging from trafficking and smuggling to wider trans-border crimes.
Her words: “Our shared successes affirm a truth we must never lose sight of – that cooperation, not conflict; dialogue, not suspicion – remain our best tools for overcoming obstacles.
“The frequency and depth of our engagements at the highest political levels underscore the strategic nature of our relationship.
“The recent efforts by President Tinubu and his Beninese counterpart, Patrice Talon, have further deepened our bilateral cooperation particularly in the areas of trade and border management.
“These demonstrate a shared political will to resolve longstanding issues and usher in a new era of mutual prosperity.
“It is important that we work together to ensure policies and procedures on both sides of the border promote legitimate trade, encourage investment, and empower our business communities.
“Let us continue to align our customs and transit frameworks, streamline bottlenecks, and reinforce our joint commitment to regional integration under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” the statement quoted the minister as saying.
The statement indicated that Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, presented the resolutions of the meeting as it concerned the economic cooperation between the two countries.
The economic cooperation covers trading services and private sector engagements, market access, customs procedures, as well as trade facilitation, transport infrastructure, and storage.
In furtherance of this, according to her, technical working groups are expected to deliberate on such areas aforementioned and submit reports in Abuja.
The statement disclosed that the the Beninese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Bakari, reiterated his country’s commitment to sustaining excellent mutually beneficial relations with Nigeria.
The meeting, the statement indicated, was attended by the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Benin, Mrs Shadiya Assouman, the Director-General of Customs, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, Permanent-Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Ambassador Nura Rimi, Director, Africa Affairs Department in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Regina Ocheni, Director, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Innocent Iwejuo, and other members of the technical committee attended the meeting.
