ECOWAS Sets a Path for Seamless Cross-Border Trade: Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire SIGMAT Gets Boost.
By Raymond Enoch.
In a landmark move to strengthen regional trade and enhance customs efficiency, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has concluded a crucial technical mission in Ghana aimed at resolving interconnection challenges hindering the deployment of the SIGMAT system between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Held from July 21 to 25, 2025, the mission marked a pivotal step in advancing the implementation of the “Système interconnecté de gestion des marchandises en transit” (SIGMAT), a regional initiative launched in 2019 to facilitate real-time electronic data exchange on goods in transit between ECOWAS Member States.
The week-long engagement, which took place in Accra, brought together high-level customs and IT experts from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and the ECOWAS Commission. The discussions targeted lingering technical and functional challenges that had stalled the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire interconnection, a critical link on the busy Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Salifou Tiemtoré, Director of Customs Union and Taxation, emphasized the strategic significance of the SIGMAT project in boosting regional trade. Speaking on behalf of Commissioner Massandjé Touré-Litse of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Tiemtoré reaffirmed ECOWAS’s unwavering support to Member States in harmonizing customs processes.
“The Commission is fully committed to helping our Member States achieve operational interconnectivity,” he stated. “SIGMAT is not just a system; it is a catalyst for trade efficiency, revenue generation, and regional economic integration.”
The mission also saw the active participation of Brigadier General Glover Ashong Annan, Commissioner of Customs for the Ghana Revenue Authority, who welcomed the initiative. “This technical collaboration with our Ivorian counterparts is a significant breakthrough. Most of the key obstacles have been addressed, and we are now on the cusp of full deployment,” he declared.
The groundwork for this mission was laid during the October 2023 meeting of Ministers from the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor in Cotonou, where regional leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fast-track SIGMAT deployment.
With the main technical hurdles now resolved, both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are expected to proceed with final interoperability tests and operational rollout in the coming months. Once fully functional, the SIGMAT system will enable customs authorities in both countries to electronically track goods in transit, reduce border delays, and curb fraud — a move that traders and logistics firms have long awaited.
The successful implementation of SIGMAT is also seen as a critical milestone in ECOWAS’s broader agenda to foster economic integration through digital transformation, particularly in trade facilitation, customs modernization, and intra-African commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
As regional connectivity gains momentum, ECOWAS officials are hopeful that the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire SIGMAT link will serve as a model for other Member States, ultimately realizing the vision of a seamlessly integrated West African trade ecosystem.
