By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
THE Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, says the Beitbridge Border Post should adopt a fully operational One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) model similar to Chirundu to maximise the benefits of its world-class infrastructure.
Dr Adeniyi said this on Monday after leading a delegation of senior customs officials from Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin, together with representatives from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), on a benchmarking visit to the modernised Beitbridge Border Post.
He said Beitbridge already has world-class infrastructure that can compete with any modern border facility globally.
“The first lesson is that a modern border post requires state-of-the-art infrastructure, and we have seen those facilities here in Beitbridge. It is the considered view of the delegations from Nigeria, Cameroon and the Republic of Benin that this border facility can rival any of its kind in Europe or elsewhere in the world. It is truly world-class,” he said.
However, Dr Adeniyi said infrastructure alone is not enough to create an efficient border.
He said the delegation was impressed by the presentation on the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post, where Zimbabwe and Zambia operate under a coordinated border management system.
At Chirundu, travellers and cargo stop only once to complete exit and entry formalities for both countries.
Customs, immigration and other border agencies work together in one location using harmonised procedures, reducing duplication, clearance times and congestion.
Dr Adeniyi said combining Beitbridge’s modern infrastructure with Chirundu’s integrated operating model would create an even more efficient border.
“We also learnt from the presentation on the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post that infrastructure alone—brick and mortar—does not make an efficient border. Equally important are streamlined processes and coordinated operations,” he said.
He said when efficient processes are matched with modern infrastructure, border services become faster, more effective and better suited to facilitating trade.
Dr Adeniyi also commended the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) for leading an integrated border management system involving various government agencies.
He said the approach has produced positive results and should be replicated across Africa.
The benchmarking mission was organised by Afreximbank to enable West and Central African customs administrations to learn from Zimbabwe’s experience in border modernisation and trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The delegation’s joint communiqué noted that while infrastructure was the most visible lesson from Beitbridge, the operating model was the most important. It highlighted unified border management, coordinated government agencies, digital systems and harmonised procedures as the key elements of an efficient border.
The visiting customs administrations also committed to advancing One-Stop Border Post arrangements and coordinated border management along major trade corridors in West and Central Africa.