Nigeria reopens Tsamiya border with Benin after 7-year closure  

Nigeria has reopened the Tsamiya Border Corridor in Kebbi State, reviving a key route for agricultural trade with Benin Republic.

The reopening was approved by the federal government under Bola Tinubu, after a closure in 2019 by late former president Muhammadu Buhari to tackle excessive smuggling and spur the domestic agricultural industry.

It is expected to restore cross-border movement of farm produce including onions, garlic, white beans, dry pepper, and grains—both maize and sorghum, from Nigeria’s northern food basket to Benin.

Tsamiya, located in Bagudo Local Government Area and linked to Segbana in Benin, has traditionally served as an outlet for agricultural commodities moving into neighbouring West African markets.

In the past, The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) relied heavily on this corridor to move perishable goods.

Customs officials said the reopening of the trade route will come with stricter monitoring.

Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said the corridor, which is now open to the over 2,000 trucks stranded at the border for months, would operate under enhanced surveillance, ICT-driven tracking systems and tighter profiling of licensed customs agents to curb diversion of goods in transit.

In May 2025, the NCS launched the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) together with the Benin Republic Customs Administration to digitalise and harmonise cross-border trade connectivity between both countries.

Any truck found outside designated transit routes would be confiscated, Adeniyi said.

He noted the backing from Tinubu and President Patrice Talon of Benin, and lobbied for more security alliances.

“Criminal elements operate through cooperation, shared resources, and organised networks. This makes it imperative for security agencies to work together in a coordinated manner to effectively counter such threats,” he said.

The announcement comes in tandem with a visit to Nigeria by Benin Republic officials this month  including officials from the Agency for Promotion of Investment and Export in Bénin (APIEx), who in a conversation with BusinessDay expressed optimism about discussions had with Nigerian authorities on trade ambitions.

Nasir Idris, governor of Kebbi State said the state would support Customs and other security agencies with logistics, infrastructure and community engagement.

“The Kebbi State Government remains committed to prioritising security and creating an enabling environment for security agencies to operate effectively, while ensuring that border communities benefit from sustained development,” Idris said.

In 2024, authorities announced a commencement of trade activities at the Tsamiya Dry Port designed to coordinate cargo movement, by the end of October the same year.

Stakeholders said the corridor’s reopening could help unclog regional trade routes, reduce post-harvest losses and position Kebbi as a gateway for lawful agricultural exports into West Africa, provided enforcement remains tight.