Non-tariff barriers add up to 20% to cross-border trade costs in West Africa, ministers heard in Accra, as a 350-million-people market remains largely untapped.
West African trade ministers meeting in Accra have called for stronger regional integration, industrial development and the removal of trade barriers as they seek to boost commerce within a bloc where intra-regional trade remains stuck below 15 percent of total activity.
Opening the Fifth Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, Ghana’s minister for trade, agribusiness and industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to deepen cooperation and accelerate implementation of policies aimed at expanding trade and industrialisation across the region.
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“ECOWAS represents a market of more than 350 million people with a combined GDP approaching US$700 billion, yet intra-regional trade remains below 15 percent,” Ofosu-Adjare said. She attributed the low level of trade among member states to persistent challenges including inadequate transport infrastructure, unreliable energy supply, multiple currencies, unharmonised customs procedures and non-tariff barriers.
The minister said non-tariff barriers continue to add between 15 percent and 20 percent to the cost of cross-border trade in West Africa through unnecessary checkpoints, duplicated certifications and administrative delays. She called for greater collaboration in developing regional value chains, particularly in textiles, apparel and automotive manufacturing, and urged governments to adopt policies that encourage local production and increase the use of regional inputs under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, Ofosu-Adjare also reiterated support for key regional initiatives including the West Africa Common Industrial Policy 2026-2030, harmonised food standards, the Cross-Border Consumer Protection Regulation and the ECOWAS Common Investment Market. She stressed the importance of ECOWAS countries speaking with one voice in global trade negotiations to ensure multilateral commitments align with Africa’s development objectives.
Amdiatta Diaby, Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement of the ECOWAS Parliament, called for stronger political commitment and more effective implementation of regional trade accords. Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, Sierra Leone’s Minister for Trade and Industry and chair of ECOMOTI-5, urged member states to safeguard the integrity of the ECOWAS Customs Union, warning that bilateral trade arrangements undermining the bloc’s Common External Tariff could weaken regional bargaining power and economic sovereignty.
The meeting comes as African countries seek to strengthen regional markets amid shifting global trade dynamics and heightened uncertainty in international commerce, with the continent’s own market remaining largely untapped.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Last Updated on June 13, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
