Nigeria just offered an olive branch to another country it recently had a dispute with

• Nigeria is seeking closer trade and customs cooperation with Niger, following a similar initiative with Burkina Faso, both of which recently left ECOWAS.
• Customs officials from Nigeria and Niger met to address border challenges and facilitate legitimate trade along the Kamba–Tungan Gyado corridor.
• Insecurity and diplomatic tensions in the region, especially involving Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo, have disrupted traditional trade routes.
• Both Nigeria and Burkina Faso have expressed renewed interest in bilateral dialogue to improve their relationship and identify new areas of cooperation.

A few days after Nigeria decided to explore a partnership with Burkina Faso, a West African country that broke away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria is looking into collaborating with Niger, another breakaway country.

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On Thursday, members of Nigeria’s customs service met with a delegation from Niger’s customs to discuss the shared challenges posed by a porous border.

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Both parties discussed their shared Kamba–Tungan Gyado border corridor, deliberating on emerging issues affecting trade along the corridor, intending to facilitate legitimate trade, generate revenue, and provide relief to communities on both sides of the border.

This was made known by the Customs Public Relations Officer of Kebbi Area Command, Mustapha Mubarak, as reported by the Punch Newspaper.

A statement highlighting the details of the report shows that the meeting was attended by the Customs Area Controller in charge of Kebbi Area Command, Mahmoud Ibrahim, Comptroller, Douanes du Dosso, Niger Republic, Abdoulaye Vincent, and other government officials.

The Comptroller of Douanes du Dosso called for closer cooperation between the Nigerian and Nigerien Customs authorities, particularly to improve trade along the Kamba corridor.

Speaking during the meeting, the Nigerien customs official thanked the Comptroller of Customs, Kebbi Area Command, for receiving the delegation and stressed the importance of making cross-border trade easier and more efficient.

He said insecurity along routes connecting Niger with Burkina Faso and Togo, as well as the current diplomatic challenges involving Benin, had affected trade flows in the region.

The official urged businesses to make greater use of the Kamba route for legitimate trade, saying this could increase government revenue while supporting communities that depend on cross-border commerce.

A few days back, a report showed that despite their differences and their cold war, Nigeria and Burkina Faso decided to collaborate in areas that affect them.

Burkina Faso and Nigeria’s recent discussion

The report showed that Burkina Faso is now interested in direct bilateral talks with Nigeria to review their relationship and discover new areas of collaboration.

On the 28th of August, the newly appointed Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Syndoph Paebi Endoni, suggested this while presenting the Letter of Credence to Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Marie Karamoko Traoré, in Ouagadougou.

The recent meeting demonstrated that both parties are committed to maintaining diplomatic lines open.

Traoré welcomed Endoni's arrival and hailed the new ambassador's accreditation as a chance to strengthen bilateral relations.

The Burkinabe foreign minister emphasized the two nations' historical and cultural ties, as well as the issues they confront in common.

    **He then offered a bilateral discussion** in which officials from both countries may conduct a comprehensive review of current collaboration and explore ways to enhance the relationship,

This is a particularly interesting development given the recent history between Nigeria and a few countries in the Sahel region.

Debacle between ECOWAS and AES

In recent years, ECOWAS has expressed concern regarding the political instability in the Sahel region, following the transition from democratic governance to military regimes in several member states.

Among these military-led nations, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso withdrew from the group to establish an independent regional bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), posing a significant diplomatic challenge to ECOWAS.

The group has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to reintegrating these nations, occasionally signaling the potential deployment of unorthodox solutions.

Since the official withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali from ECOWAS in Janaury, 2025, all three countries have taken a deliberate path toward economic independence, enacting a series of coordinated policies aimed at fostering deeper integration within their own Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

One of the most notable moves in this approach is the introduction of a common AES passport, which is intended to ease the free movement of people, goods, and services throughout the bloc.