Posted: January 19th, 2025

The Impact of Regional Free Trade Agreements on West African Maritime Trade

The Impact of Regional Free Trade Agreements on West African Maritime Trade | West African Ports and the Rise of Free Trade Agreements
Historically, nations along the coast of West Africa depend on maritime trade as a means for economic survival. Some of these ports include Lagos in Nigeria, Tema in Ghana, and Dakar in Senegal, all of which are used for importing and exporting goods. But trade within West Africa has been relatively low because of high tariff barriers, inadequate infrastructure, and bureaucratic procedures. Regional FTAs hold the potential to alter this paradigm by liberalising the trade in goods. How do these agreements impact maritime trade in West Africa and what more needs to be done? Based on these backgrounds, this article aims to discuss the impact of FTAs on ports, shipping and regional economies.

Dissection of Regional Free Trade Agreements in West Africa
The regional FTAs are expected to facilitate trade by either reducing or eliminating barriers such as tariffs and harmonizing customs procedures. In the case of West Africa, two important trade liberalization initiatives can be seen: The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which started in 2019. ECOWAS consists of 15 member countries, founded in 1975 and aimed at establishing an economic community. The AfCFTA involved 54 African countries to create the world’s largest free trade area in terms of geographic coverage and population.

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These agreements are important because West Africa is highly dependent on seaborne trade. Seaborne trade dominates at over 90% for the regional countries, with the ports involved in the transportation of oil and gas as well as agricultural produce among others, according to UNCTAD 2023. Reducing trade barriers could open up new possibilities for shippers, exporters, and port operators. However, several challenges such as poor ports and poor transport infrastructural connectivity are key determinants of success.

Boosting Trade Volumes Through Lower Tariffs
One clear benefit of FTAs lies in their ability to increase trade volumes. By cutting tariffs, these agreements make goods cheaper to move across borders. For example, the AfCFTA plans to eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods traded within Africa over a decade (World Bank, 2020). In West Africa, where intra-regional trade accounts for just 12% of total trade—far below Europe’s 68%—this shift could spark a maritime boom.

Imagine a Ghanaian cocoa farmer wanting to sell to Nigeria. Before FTAs, high tariffs and delays at the border might have made this unprofitable. Now, with lower costs, that farmer can ship cocoa through Tema to Lagos more easily. Data backs this up: the World Bank estimates that full AfCFTA implementation could boost intra-African trade by 52% by 2035, with West Africa seeing some of the largest gains (World Bank, 2020). Maritime trade stands to benefit as ships carry more regionally produced goods, filling holds that once sat empty due to restrictive policies.

Enhancing Port Efficiency and Infrastructure
Ports act as the backbone of maritime trade, and FTAs push West African nations to upgrade them. Competition increases when trade barriers drop, forcing ports to handle cargo faster and more reliably. Take Nigeria’s Apapa port in Lagos, one of the busiest in the region. Congestion and outdated equipment have long plagued it, but the promise of more trade under AfCFTA has spurred investments in digital customs systems and crane upgrades (UNCTAD, 2024).

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Ghana offers another example. The Tema Port Expansion Project, completed in 2019, doubled the port’s capacity just as AfCFTA took effect. This timing reflects how FTAs encourage governments and private firms to modernize. Better ports mean shorter wait times for ships, lower costs for traders, and more revenue for coastal economies. However, not all ports keep pace—smaller hubs like Cotonou in Benin still struggle with shallow berths and slow clearance, limiting their ability to capitalize on freer trade.

Strengthening Regional Supply Chains
FTAs also reshape supply chains by encouraging West African countries to trade more with each other. Historically, the region exported raw materials like oil and cocoa to Europe or Asia while importing manufactured goods from those same markets. Maritime trade followed this pattern, with ships rarely moving goods between West African nations. Agreements like ECOWAS and AfCFTA aim to flip this script.

Consider cement production. Nigeria, a major producer, could supply Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire more cheaply under reduced tariffs. Ships that once sailed half-empty back from Europe could now ferry cement regionally, cutting costs and boosting shipping demand. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) predicts a 28% rise in intra-African freight demand due to AfCFTA, with maritime transport taking the lion’s share (UNCTAD, 2023). Stronger regional links could also reduce reliance on volatile global markets, offering stability to West African shippers.

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Challenges Holding Back Progress
Despite these gains, FTAs face hurdles that dampen their impact on maritime trade. Poor infrastructure tops the list. Roads and railways connecting ports to inland markets remain patchy, especially in landlocked countries like Burkina Faso or Mali. A ship might unload goods swiftly at Dakar, but if trucks take days to reach Bamako, the benefits of free trade shrink. The African Development Bank estimates that closing this infrastructure gap requires $130 billion annually—a sum far beyond current spending (AfDB, 2022).

Customs delays add another layer of difficulty. Even with lower tariffs, bureaucratic red tape slows cargo clearance. For instance, a 2023 study found that goods crossing ECOWAS borders face an average delay of 3–5 days due to paperwork and corruption (Agbahoungba and Biao, 2019). Until these non-tariff barriers fall, maritime trade won’t reach its full potential. Smaller shipping firms, unable to absorb these costs, may lose out to larger competitors, concentrating benefits in a few hands.

Economic and Social Ripple Effects
Beyond ports and shipping, FTAs influence West Africa’s broader economy. Increased maritime trade creates jobs—dockworkers, truck drivers, and warehouse staff all see demand rise. The World Bank projects that AfCFTA could lift 12 million West Africans out of extreme poverty by 2035, largely through trade-driven growth (World Bank, 2020). Coastal cities like Abidjan or Freetown could become thriving hubs, drawing investment and talent.

Yet, not everyone wins. Local manufacturers might struggle against cheaper imports flooding in via ships. In Nigeria, textile firms have voiced fears that AfCFTA could swamp them with goods from more industrialized African nations like South Africa. Balancing these trade-offs requires smart policies—subsidies for vulnerable industries or training programs to shift workers into growing sectors like logistics.

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The Role of Global Disruptions
Global events further complicate the picture. The Red Sea crisis in 2024, for instance, forced ships to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, spiking freight rates to West Africa by 137% (UNCTAD, 2024). While this hurt importers, it also highlighted the need for stronger regional trade. If West Africa relied less on distant markets and more on its neighbors, such disruptions would sting less. FTAs offer a buffer, encouraging ships to prioritize shorter, intra-regional routes over risky global ones.

Looking Ahead: Maximizing the Impact
For FTAs to fully transform West African maritime trade, action is needed on multiple fronts. Governments must prioritize infrastructure, linking ports to hinterlands with better roads and rail. Streamlining customs through digital tools—like the UNCTAD-supported SIGMAT system in ECOWAS—can slash delays. Private investment matters too; shipping firms and port operators should modernize fleets and terminals to handle rising volumes.

Education plays a role as well. Training programs for port workers and trade officials can build the skills needed to compete in a freer market. Finally, regional cooperation must deepen. ECOWAS and AfCFTA won’t succeed if member states cling to protectionism or fail to enforce agreements. A united approach ensures that maritime trade becomes a rising tide lifting all boats—figuratively and literally.

Conclusion
Regional free trade agreements hold immense promise for West African maritime trade. Lower tariffs, upgraded ports, and stronger supply chains could turn the region’s coastal waters into bustling trade corridors. The numbers speak for themselves: billions in economic gains and millions lifted from poverty. Yet, success isn’t guaranteed. Infrastructure gaps, customs bottlenecks, and global shocks pose real threats. By tackling these challenges head-on, West Africa can harness FTAs to not only boost maritime trade but also secure a more prosperous future for its people. The sea has always been the region’s gateway to the world—now, it could become the key to its own backyard.

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References
Agbahoungba, L.S.W. and Biao, B., 2019. Trade Liberalisation and Economic Performance in the ECOWAS Zone: A Granger Causality Analysis. African Economic Outlook, 12(3), pp.45-60.

African Development Bank (AfDB), 2022. Africa’s Infrastructure Financing Needs: Bridging the Gap. AfDB Annual Report. Available at: [AfDB website].

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023. Review of Maritime Transport 2023: Facts and Figures on Africa. Geneva: UNCTAD.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024. Review of Maritime Transport 2024. Geneva: UNCTAD.

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World Bank, 2020. The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects. Washington, DC: World Bank.

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