Cross-border agricultural trade between Benin and Togo has received a multi-city bi-national evaluation tour designed to eliminate transport bottlenecks and illegal checkpoints. 

Convening from 29 June to 4 July 2026, members of the Corridor Consultation Frameworks (CCC) held regional knowledge-sharing and trade facilitation meetings across Djougou and Dassa-Zoumé in Benin, before concluding their evaluation in Atakpamé, Togo, under the umbrella of the Regional Programme for the Integration of Agricultural Markets (PRIMA).

The strategic meetings brought together a diverse group of public administrators, private economic operators, agricultural producers, transport providers, and market traders, including a strong representation of both women and men. 

The Primary goal of the tour was to evaluate the recent field outcomes of “Operation Road Fluidity” and assess the impact of ongoing awareness campaigns on ECOWAS community regulations. 

Participants reviewed the daily flow of cross-border transport lines, using the consultation framework as a permanent platform to measure progress in dropping barriers that delay the delivery of agricultural, forestry, livestock, and fisheries products between the two neighbouring Republics.

Despite some logistical gains, delegates noted that West African smallholders still face persistent disruptions along major transit routes. 

The joint sessions highlighted ongoing operational challenges, including complex non-tariff barriers, arbitrary road harassment, unauthorised checkpoints, administrative processing delays, and an inconsistent application of ECOWAS free-trade protocols. 

In response, the Corridor Consultation Frameworks structured a series of immediate recommendations focused on opening direct policy dialogue between border customs and private transport unions, intensifying grassroots legal advocacy for traders, and establishing digital monitoring tools along the shared trade corridors.

The initiative directly supports the long-term success of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), which aims to make sub-regional food markets highly competitive. 

Jointly implemented by the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA) with funding support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the overall PRIMA programme targets the removal of physical and administrative trade barriers. 

By strengthening cross-border dialogue, the project is to stabilise regional food availability and structurally improve the seasonal incomes of rural producers and smallholder value-chain operators across West Africa.

Source: Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food