A snapshot of cross-border trade along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor

Why collect data on ICBT?
Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) is an important factor in intra-African Trade and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. One major feature of trade in Africa is the convoys of informal traders regularly crossing the borders to exchange goods and services, giving rise to intense flows that account for a significant part of the continent’s total trade. Today, cross-border trade is a major dimension of African economic and social landscapes: some approximations that exist suggest that ICBT contributes between 20-75 percent of total intra-regional trade depending on the country. Such trade supports livelihoods and creates employment, including for disadvantaged and marginalized groups.