(Ecofin Agency) - In Q1 2024, Togo was Benin's top customer in the ECOWAS region. However, Nigeria has since taken the lead, boosted by increased exports of various products, including rice. Nigeria now accounts for 31% of Benin's sales in the ECOWAS region.

Benin’s exports to other ECOWAS countries reached over $38.2 million in the second quarter of 2024, up from $27.2 million in the previous quarter, marking a 40.07% increase, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INSTAD) released on October 1, 2024.

The rise in exports was driven by food products like rice, palm oil, fresh fruits, as well as cotton, cement products, and their derivatives. During the second quarter, Nigeria was Benin’s top buyer within the ECOWAS region, accounting for 31% of Benin's export value. In 2023, both countries had agreed on 12 measures to restore trade, including lifting trade barriers, boosting efforts to fight cross-border crime, and reactivating a joint committee to monitor trade relations.

Nigeria’s position as Benin’s leading trade partner within ECOWAS pushed Togo to second place, with 28% of Benin’s exports. Burkina Faso ranked third.

This growth comes despite the ongoing closure of the Benin-Niger border, a consequence of sanctions imposed after Niger’s 2023 coup. While Benin reopened its side of the border in line with ECOWAS decisions, Niger has kept its border closed, citing security concerns.

In the second quarter of 2024, Benin’s imports from ECOWAS countries totaled over $147 million. The main suppliers were Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.