The rising cost of moving goods across countries in sub Saharan Africa is on the rise. This development, experts and policy analysts say, may be inimical to the goals of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is aimed at encouraging cheaper and seamless trade among African countries.
For instance, exporters along the west coast of the continent say it now costs over N10.84 million to move a truckload of goods valued at N100 million by road from Lagos to Accra.
They blame the high surge on unofficial fees imposed by transit countries, especially Benin, Togo and Ghana.
This rising cost, driven by arbitrary checkpoints, bribes, and complex customs procedures, they warned, are crippling the competitiveness of Nigerian exports and undermining the promise of the AfCFTA.
According to a recent case study by the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Agro-Forestry-Pastoral and Fisheries Products (WACTAF), exporters pay an average of N10.84 million to move a N100 million truckload of goods, approximately $67,000 from Nigeria to Ghana by road—a route spanning roughly 1,726 kilometres.
