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Summary
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has led the country’s delegation to Cotonou, where Nigeria and Benin endorsed a new Framework for Enhanced Economic Cooperation aimed at deepening bilateral trade. The agreement also aligns with continental trade standards and advances regional integration in West Africa.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, has led a high-powered delegation to Cotonou. In a significant move, Nigeria and the Republic of Benin officially endorsed a Framework for Enhanced Economic Cooperation, deepening bilateral ties and paving the way for a more integrated West African economy.
At the ministerial meeting, Dr. Jumoke described the Framework as a landmark step in aligning Nigeria’s trade policy with continental and global standards.
“This framework reflects our trade policy’s alignment with ECOWAS, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the WTO, and underscores our unwavering commitment to fostering win-win outcomes for Nigeria, the West African subregion, and the broader African continent,” she said.
The agreement emerged from months of bilateral engagements and is structured around four thematic pillars. These include strengthening trade in goods, enhancing trade in services and boosting private sector engagement, improving customs procedures and trade facilitation, and addressing legal and institutional issues that impact cross-border cooperation.
Dr. Jumoke confirmed that negotiations to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on the framework will begin in Q4 2025, with conclusion expected in Q1 2026.
The Nigerian delegation under her leadership included Ms. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service; and Ambassador Nura Rimi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
They were received by their Beninese counterparts, led by Mr. Romuald Wadagni, Senior Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance; Mr. Yvon Detchénou, Minister of Justice and Legislation; Mr. Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Ms. Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, Minister of Industry and Trade.
The endorsement signals both countries’ commitment to boosting trade, easing customs processes, strengthening legal frameworks, and encouraging private sector engagement across borders.
