As climate change threatens Africa’s trade and economic stability, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin calls for urgent reforms to streamline port charges, invest in cross-border transport infrastructure, and promote regional industrial policies, emphasizing that a more integrated and resilient regional trade system is crucial for adapting to climate impacts and driving sustainable development.
Delivering an incisive contribution at the Crans Montana Forum in Morocco, Hon. Afenyo-Markin, the 3rd Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, highlighted the obstacles hindering intra-African trade. These include exorbitant port charges, logistical inefficiencies, and the lack of a coordinated industrial policy across the continent.
He cited a specific example from a trade delegation he led to Morocco three years ago, where a promising bilateral venture between Moroccan poultry exporters and Ghanaian agribusinesses collapsed due to high port-related costs. “Initially, it was more cost-effective to import poultry from Morocco than from Brazil or the Netherlands,” he said. “However, when port charges and tariffs were added, the cost tripled, leading to the Moroccan investors pulling out and the opportunity being lost.”
Afenyo-Markin emphasized that this missed opportunity reflects a broader structural issue affecting Africa’s trade corridors and supply chains, which often pushes African businesses to favor external markets over intra-continental ones. He lamented that many landlocked nations, such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, heavily depend on coastal neighbors for access to global markets, but inefficiencies in port management, infrastructure, and security risks render regional trade uncompetitive.
“We talk about regional integration, yet transport networks between Ghana and Lagos remain underdeveloped,” Afenyo-Markin noted. “Modern rail connections are poor, and roads are plagued by inefficiencies, red tape, and sometimes insecurity.”
The ECOWAS Deputy Speaker called for a renewed commitment to:
- Streamlining port charges and customs procedures
- Investing in cross-border transport infrastructure
- Promoting regional industrial policies to reduce destructive competition
- Fostering trust and policy coordination across the continent
He cautioned that the exit of some Sahelian countries from ECOWAS complicates regional trade policy, introducing uncertainty around free movement, trade rules, and customs protocols. “If we cannot build a fluid, predictable, and cost-effective regional trade system, then we leave our people with no choice but to look beyond Africa for trade,” he warned.
Afenyo-Markin’s intervention at the Crans Montana Forum served as a reminder of the urgency to move from rhetoric to reform, especially regarding trade and infrastructure.
