By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, Oct. 30, GNA- Border communities and women engaged in informal cross-border trade need greater support and opportunities to participate in efforts to improve border management and benefit from expanding regional markets, two African trade experts have said.
Professor Paul Nugent, Founder and Chairman of the African Borderlands Research Network, said local communities should be involved in monitoring border operations and reporting abuses, including the collection of unofficial payments from traders.
Prof. Nugent said local structures in border areas could be supported to establish associations of cross-border traders that would work with border agencies and provide channels for reporting abuses.
He said such mechanisms would help address misconduct and improve accountability, adding that reports from traders must be followed by action from the relevant authorities.
He also advocated the involvement of border populations in practical border management, noting that efforts to improve conditions at the crossings could not be left solely to state institutions.
Mr Ziad Hamoui, President of Borderless Alliance, said women constituted the majority of cross-border traders and needed better access to information, resources and tools to trade more efficiently and compete in regional markets.
Mr Hamoui indicated that more than 60 per cent of women were involved in informal cross-border trade, making it important for policymakers to consider their circumstances when developing regional trade policies.
They said this when speaking at a media engagement on regional trade and border cooperation powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA),
He cited Ghana Statistical Service survey reports for the first three quarters of 2025, which indicated that about two-thirds of Ghana’s trade with Togo was informal, while almost half of its trade with Burkina Faso was also informal.
He also cited an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report published the previous year, which indicated that 85 per cent of inter-regional food trade in West Africa was unrecorded.
Mr Hamoui said the figures demonstrated the significant volume of trade taking place outside official records and the need for policymakers to account for informal traders in regional trade planning.
He said women, young entrepreneurs and small-scale traders required accessible information on trade procedures, regulations and opportunities available under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He proposed strengthening border information centres to provide guidance and assistance to traders, particularly women and less experienced small-scale operators.
He said the centres, some of which the Borderless Alliance had helped established at strategic borders in West Africa, could build trust among stakeholders and help resolve minor challenges encountered by traders.
The two speakers also underscored the importance of cooperation among border agencies, local communities, and other stakeholders in addressing challenges affecting cross-border trade.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Email: [email protected]