Cargo Spends 17 Days On Lagos-Abidjan Route Amid 37 Checkpoints

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has raised concerns over persistent logistical and policy barriers hindering intra-African trade, revealing that goods can take as long as 17 days to travel the 1,080-kilometre route between Lagos and Abidjan.

Speaking on the challenges facing the implementation of the AfCFTA, the Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene said excessive border checks, high transportation costs, visa restrictions and burdensome taxes continue to undermine efforts to deepen economic integration across the continent.

According to him, the movement of cargo remains one of the biggest obstacles to regional trade, noting that trucks transporting goods from Lagos to Abidjan encounter as many as 37 checkpoints along the route.

“From Lagos to Abidjan is 1,080 kilometres, but it can take goods up to 17 days to reach Abidjan, with 37 checkpoints along the way,” Mene said. “These are constraints that we can deal with relatively quickly if governments work together.”

He also described intra-African air travel as significantly more expensive than travel in many other regions of the world, attributing the high costs largely to government-imposed taxes and levies.

“Intra-Africa travel is very expensive relative to other parts of the world,” he said. “The cost is attributable mainly to each country wanting to impose taxes on travel receipts. This is a government policyissue that must be addessed.”

Mene stressed that the free movement of people, particularly business travellers, is essential to unlocking the full potential of the AfCFTerodedgued that entrepreneurs and investors must be able to move easily across borders to pursue commercial opportunities, attend meetings and establish partnerships.

“If business people are not able to move relatively easily around the continent, then we will be constraining intra-African trade,” he said.

Drawing lessons from the experience of the European Union, Mene noted that the relaxation of movement restrictions within Europe contributed significantly to the growth of intra-EU trade and economic integration.

He welcomed recent policy reforms by countries including Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Rwanda, Kenya and Republic of the Congo, which have introduced visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival arrangements for African travellers.

According to him, such initiatives are steps in thea right direction and should be expanded across the continent to facilitate trade and investment.

Mene further disclosed that AfCFTA is engaging African heads of state and private sector stakeholders to encourage broader adoption of visa-on-arrival policies and other measures that simplify business travel.

He cited Togo’s investor passport programme as an example of an innovative policy that could be replicated elsewhere. The programme provides fast-track access and simplified entry procedures for investors visiting the country on short-term business engagements.

Beyond mobility and trade facilitation, Mene hThe governmentmentmentmentmentment digitisation and manufacturing as critical drivers of Africa’s economic transformation. He said the continent’s growing digital economy is creating opportunities for businethe sses to improve efficiency, strengthen supply chains and increase industrial production.

According to him, greater investment in manufacturing and digital technologies will help African countries add value to raw materials, reduce dependence on imports and increase the volume of goods traded within the continent.

He maintained that removing trade bottlenecks, improving infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation and easing the movement of people would be crucial to achieving the objectives of the AfCFTA and unlocking Africa’s vast economic potential.