The surging cost of transporting goods across borders in sub-Saharan Africa is raising concerns among trade experts, who fear it could undermine the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s vision of seamless, low-cost intra-African commerce.
Exporters along the West African corridor report that it now costs over ₦10.84 million to move a single truckload of goods valued at ₦100 million from Lagos to Accra—a route covering approximately 1,726 kilometres. The spike in logistics costs is largely attributed to unofficial charges, bribes at arbitrary checkpoints, and cumbersome customs procedures in transit countries like Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
“This is stifling the competitiveness of Nigerian exports and eroding confidence in the AfCFTA framework,” said policy analysts at the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Agro-Forestry-Pastoral and Fisheries Products (WACTAF), which recently published a case study on the issue.
The group emphasized that the current average of ₦10.84 million (around $67,000) for transporting goods overland is not sustainable and flies in the face of AfCFTA’s goals to promote cost-effective trade and regional integration.
Analysts are calling on ECOWAS and national governments to take swift action by harmonising customs processes, eliminating illegal checkpoints, and improving transport infrastructure across the corridor.
