Liberia: ‘We Will Need to Digitize Border Services’
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — Liberia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Magdalene Dagoseh, has called for the digitization of Africa’s border systems to curb corruption and improve the efficiency of cross-border movement, as African leaders and development partners met in Abidjan for the the sixth edition of the Africa Resilience Forum organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Speaking on the panel “Regional Integration and Trade: Paths to Peace,” Minister Dagoseh emphasized that the continent’s integration agenda cannot be fully realized without strong political will and the modernization of border management systems. “In addition to having a single border crossing at each of our borders, we will need to digitize border services,” Dagoseh said. “This is a solution to control not only the movement of people, but also commercial products. By digitizing the various border crossings, we can combat corruption, we know how many people have left or entered, and this prevents other problems.”
Her remarks added a crucial dimension to the discussion, as panelists examined how modernized border infrastructure could facilitate trade, enhance security, and promote peace across Africa’s regions. The forum, which runs from October 1 to 3, brings together policymakers, development institutions, and private sector actors to explore strategies that strengthen resilience and economic cooperation on the continent.
Mohammed Abdiker, Chief of Staff at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), echoed similar sentiments, stressing that political will remains the foundation for success. “The ideal is to have a single border crossing between countries. If we have such strong infrastructure, it will help facilitate trade,” Abdiker said. He explained that the IOM had implemented a “single-post” border project between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and is now collaborating with the AfDB on a similar initiative between the Central African Republic and Cameroon to boost trade and ease movement.
Panelists agreed that while physical infrastructure is vital, the true test of resilience and integration lies in creating border systems that are transparent, technology-driven, and inclusive of all economic actors. Ziad Hamoui, Chair of the Borderless Alliance–a West African private sector initiative–stressed the need to engage civil society in shaping policies that reflect realities on the ground. “There is formal trade, but also informal trade, not to mention illicit trade and smuggling. Today, the volume of trade in informal trade is higher than that of formal trade. So if you don’t know what’s happening at the borders, you won’t know how to manage them,” he warned.
The discussions tie directly to the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched in January 2021 to boost intra-African trade and spur sustainable development across industry, infrastructure, and agriculture. As of January 2025, 49 countries had ratified the AfCFTA agreement, opening a market of 1.3 billion people. The AfDB has been at the forefront of supporting this effort through projects that establish One-Stop Border Posts–trade facilitation centers that streamline customs and inspection procedures between neighboring countries.
Examples include the AfDB-backed single checkpoint between Tanzania and Kenya and a juxtaposed border post between Benin and Togo financed by the Bank’s concessional arm, the African Development Fund. These projects, experts say, are critical to reducing trade costs, cutting delays, and enabling Africa’s private sector to compete in a unified continental market.
The Africa Resilience Forum, held biennially by the AfDB, serves as a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue linking humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. This year’s forum, themed around regional integration and resilience, has placed renewed focus on practical steps to accelerate Africa’s economic unification.
For Minister Dagoseh, Liberia’s participation signals the government’s commitment to modernization and trade reform under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration. Her call for digitized borders adds momentum to the AfDB’s ongoing efforts to integrate technology into Africa’s trade infrastructure–bridging gaps that have long hindered economic cooperation across the continent.
By Liberian Observer.
