By Emma Black
As border challenges grow more complex across Africa, stakeholders from across West Africa gathered in Accra for the West Africa Border Security Week, August 5, 2025 a high-level summit focused on building smarter, more integrated, and more secure borders throughout the region.
Held from August 4–6, the regional gathering followed the broader African Border Security Week held earlier this year in Cape Town. With the theme “Smart Borders for a Secure and Integrated West Africa,” the event brought together customs authorities, immigration officials, security experts, and regional policymakers for three days of knowledge exchange, innovation, and collaboration.
Among the prominent participants was a delegation from Sierra Leone’s National Revenue Authority (NRA) Customs and Border Control Office, demonstrating the country’s strong commitment to enhancing cross-border cooperation and safeguarding national and regional trade routes.
“Border security is a shared responsibility — no single country can manage it alone,” said John B. Amara, Assistant Commissioner for Border Controls and Management at the NRA. His remarks echoed the central message of the event: collaboration, technology, and regional trust are essential for border resilience.
Discussions at the summit focused on practical, action-oriented strategies to combat illicit trade, trafficking, counterfeit goods, and porous border management. Delegates explored cutting-edge digital tools and surveillance systems to modernize customs procedures and increase operational efficiency.
Participants also emphasized the role of smart border technology, such as automated clearance systems, biometric verification, and real-time intelligence sharing all seen as key enablers in managing dynamic cross-border threats.
In moving and personal opening sessions with frontline border officers, leaders were reminded that borders are not just security lines they are gateways for trade, livelihoods, and cultural exchange.
Our borders are the heartbeat of economic growth, human mobility, and regional integration, said a regional policymaker during the opening panel.
Representing Sierra Leone’s frontline efforts were Abraham B. Lavaly, Customs Service Manager at Lungi, and Vandason Vandy Mansaray, Supervisor of the Anti-Smuggling Unit. Both officers actively engaged in technical discussions, exploring cross-border best practices and deepening ties with counterparts from across West Africa.
As the summit concludes, Sierra Leone’s delegation is leveraging the experience to build partnerships, exchange operational insights, and contribute to a collective regional security framework.
The NRA Customs team reaffirmed their commitment to smarter, safer, and more inclusive border management, anchored in innovation and collaboration, with stronger regional ties and shared responsibility, West Africa is taking bold steps toward securing its borders not just against threats, but in service of a more connected and prosperous future.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,8th August 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
