Transport Infrastructure Deficits and Their Implications On AFCFTA Cross-Border Logistics in West Africa (Published)
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gives Africa’s 55 economies the chance to come together and form a single market worth over $3.4 trillion. But its effectiveness depends a lot on how good the transportation and logistics infrastructures are, especially in West Africa, where trade across borders is limited by ongoing shortages. This paper examines the effects of deficiencies in transport infrastructure on the implementation of the AfCFTA, utilizing secondary data from UNCTAD, AfDB, UNECA, ECOWAS, and the World Bank covering the period from 2018 to 2024. A quantitative methodology was utilized to examine parameters like logistics performance scores, freight prices, customs clearing durations, corridor transit efficiency, and intra-African trade volumes. The results show that intra-African trade grew from 15% to 22.3%, but the continent is still behind Asia (61%) and Europe (67%). This is mostly because of bad road and rail connections, port congestion, and inefficiencies in institutions. Targeted investments and coordinated policies can make a big difference in certain areas, as the Abidjan–Lagos and Northern corridors. The report finds that AfCFTA will only be able to drive regional integration and sustainable growth if it closes infrastructure gaps, encourages the use of digital logistics, and improves governance.
Keywords: Maritime Industry., Nigerian ports, fatigue, occupational health and safety, safety systems