Nigeria and the Republic of Benin on Saturday signed a landmark agreement aimed at deepening bilateral integration and setting a precedent for broader regional cooperation within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, the signing took place during the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) held in Abuja and was witnessed by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and his Beninese counterpart President Patrice Talon.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signed on behalf of Nigeria.
They were joined by Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, Benin’s Minister of Industry and Trade, and Shegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, representing Benin.
President Talon hailed the agreement as a bold step toward genuine regional integration. “President Tinubu and I have agreed on full integration between Benin and Nigeria. The responsibility now lies with our ministers to implement it. Benin and Nigeria are more than twins—we are the same people. Let us show the region that integration is possible.”
Talon lamented the stalled progress of ECOWAS and cited key failed initiatives—such as the West African Gas Pipeline and West African Power Pool—as examples of bureaucratic inertia undermining regional development.
"ECOWAS is a perfect example of regional integration. Unfortunately, our ECOWAS is in crisis right now," he said. "It is ridiculous. This failure of regional cooperation wastes resources and undermines integration."
He revealed that due to delays in regional cooperation, Benin had been forced to import gas from Qatar via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).
"We invested heavily in this infrastructure. But it is not functioning as expected. Unless we act decisively, I'm not confident it ever will."
He also criticised persistent logistical bottlenecks along the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, saying excessive border checks and harassment of businesspeople remain obstacles to true integration.
“The road exists. But a businessman should be able to travel from Lagos to Abidjan in hours—not days—without facing harassment at multiple checkpoints. That is not integration,” he said.
Talon identified poverty as the region’s most dangerous destabilising force, warning that without shared economic prosperity, values like democracy and liberty will remain hollow.
"Poverty is the main threat to democracy, security, and stability. If we do not address poverty through integration, our values will remain hollow."
He also referenced shifting global trade dynamics, urging West African countries to put their own interests first.
“The trade war should remind us that nations act in their interest, and so should we. At some point, we may even have to thank President Trump for that reminder,” he said.
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