Strengthening Regional Integration: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Holds High-Level Dialogue and Sensitisation at Noépé-Akanu Joint Border Post

Noépé-akanu: The ECOWAS Commission on August 13, 2026, engaged border officials, cross-border traders, transporters, and other key stakeholders, including women and youth from Benin, Ghana, and Togo, in a High-Level Dialogue and Sensitisation at the Noépé-Akanu Joint Border Post (JBP) between Togo and Ghana, along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, with an objective to further strengthen the implementation of regional integration instruments on the free movement of persons, goods and services, as well as trade and transport facilitation. According to African Press Organization, the dialogue afforded Sector Directors and Officials from the ECOWAS Commission - Free Movement, Trade, Brown Card Insurance, Transport, Transit, and Customs, the opportunity to share insights of community texts and good practices towards the facilitation of border crossing and intra-regional trade, including informal trade. Discussions highlighted key ECOWAS initiatives, such as the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC), SIGMAT, J oint Border Posts, and the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, while providing a platform to discuss challenges affecting cross-border mobility and trade. Welcoming the delegations to the JPB on behalf of the traditional Chiefs of Noépé and Akanu, Torgbi Harvey of Noépé emphasized the need for ECOWAS Member States to implement joint facilitation measures to enhance the benefits of regional integration and free movement for the development of the region for all, including transporters and entrepreneurs. Captain Agniba Essoiezam, Head of the Division of Operations of Customs of the Togolese Republic and Head of the Joint Task Force of the Noépé-Akanu JBP, underscored the importance of the dialogue in strengthening understanding of ECOWAS instruments on the free movement of persons and goods, the right of residence and establishment, transit arrangements, and the SIGMAT customs system. In his remarks, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, reaffirmed the ECOWAS Commission's commitmen t to deepening regional integration and facilitating the free movement of persons, goods, and services along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor. He called for an end to delays, cumbersome procedures, informal payments, and harassment at borders, urging stronger sensitisation on free movement rights and wider use of the ECOWAS regional biometric identity card. Representing the Togolese Minister of Transport, Mr. Dermane Tajudini, Director of Road Transport, reaffirmed Togo's commitment to advancing ECOWAS regional integration through more efficient and predictable movement of people and goods. He identified road harassment, unofficial checkpoints, high logistics costs, and disparities in regional regulations as key challenges, calling for greater digitalisation of border procedures and harmonised application of regional standards. In her keynote address, H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, described the corridor as a critical economic artery for West Africa and called for improve d border management, digitalisation, harmonised procedures, and greater coordination among border agencies. She highlighted the ECOWAS-supported Directional Signage and Mobility Programme to improve traffic management and safety at the Noépé-Akanu and Seme-Krake Joint Border Posts. The engagement is part of ongoing efforts by the ECOWAS Commission to strengthen cooperation among border authorities and stakeholders, improve awareness and application of ECOWAS frameworks, and promote regional transport and transit facilitation mechanisms, contributing to the advancement of the ECOWAS regional integration agenda.