Transport ministers from ECOWAS member states convened in Dakar this week to advance plans for a harmonised regional maritime transport corridor, aimed at reducing the paperwork and fee inconsistencies that currently slow cargo moving between neighbouring coastal states.
Discussions centred on aligning port tariff structures and creating a shared digital manifest system that customs authorities in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Benin could all draw from, reducing the need for cargo to be re-declared at every border crossing.
A working group is expected to report back with a draft framework before the bloc's next transport ministers' meeting, though officials cautioned that full implementation would likely take several years given the differences in customs technology across member states.