Relationship dossier
Benin
Nigeria
Relationship assessment
Practical border-security cooperation alongside recurring trade friction
Benin toward Nigeria
+15Benin participated in Operation Swift Response, a multinational border-security effort launched in 2019 that included Nigeria. This indicates concrete cooperation with Nigerian authorities on border enforcement.
Nigeria toward Benin
+5Nigeria participated with Benin in Operation Swift Response in 2019. However, Nigeria's 2019 closure of its land borders, including the crossing with Benin, sharply restricted cross-border trade before the borders reopened in 2020.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship has a practical basis in cross-border security cooperation, but the 2019 border closure demonstrated substantial friction over trade and border enforcement. Cooperation and economic disruption are both central features of the bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Benin and Nigeria have cooperated on border security, including through the multinational Operation Swift Response launched in 2019. Relations have also faced significant trade friction: Nigeria closed its land borders, including the border with Benin, in 2019 and reopened them in 2020. The relationship combines practical security cooperation with disputes over cross-border commerce and enforcement.
Areas of tension
- Nigeria's 2019 land-border closure, which restricted trade with Benin amid concerns about smuggling and border enforcement.
Key developments
Nigeria closed its land borders, including the border with Benin, amid concerns about smuggling and enforcement.
Operation Swift Response began as a multinational border-security effort involving Nigeria and Benin.
Nigeria reopened its land borders, including the border with Benin.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and continuity of bilateral security cooperation after Operation Swift Response are unclear.
- The extent to which border-trade restrictions and enforcement practices continue to affect bilateral relations is unclear.