Togo leads Ghana’s informal trade as food, drinks dominate
By Stephen Freeman
Togo ranked as Ghana’s largest informal trading partner, accounting for almost GHS1.8 billion of informal cross-border trade in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This is according to new data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The figures come from Ghana’s first national Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT) Survey, which tracked unrecorded trade between Ghana and its three land neighbours: Togo, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
The report shows that Togo recorded the highest volume of informal trade with Ghana, representing 61.2 per cent of all informal trade activity between the two countries.
However, Ghana recorded a trade deficit with Togo, meaning it imported more than it exported. Cooking oil was identified as the main imported product from both Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, while soft drinks were the top informal export from Ghana to Togo.
Other popular imports from Togo included rice, mattresses and livestock, highlighting the country’s strong role in supplying consumer and food products to Ghanaian markets.
Burkina Faso: Ghana’s top export destination
Burkina Faso ranked second in informal trade, but Ghana recorded a trade surplus of GHS576 million with its northern neighbour, indicating that Ghana exports far more goods to Burkina Faso than it imports.
Alcoholic drinks made up the largest share of informal exports to Burkina Faso, while cows were the main imported item from the country. The report also highlighted that informal trade accounted for 37.1 per cent of all trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Côte d’Ivoire: Growing informal trade partner
Côte d’Ivoire followed closely, with Ghana posting a trade surplus of GHS378 million. Informal trade accounted for 55.7 per cent of total trade between the two countries. Sugar was Ghana’s principal informal export to Côte d’Ivoire, while cooking oil again topped the list of informal imports.
Food and beverages drive informal trade
The report revealed that alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and energy drinks together made up 55.8 per cent of Ghana’s total beverage exports to neighbouring countries.
On the import side, rice (9.4 per cent), sugar (6.1 per cent), maize (6.0 per cent) and beans (3.5 per cent) accounted for about one-quarter of all food items imported informally.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said the findings provide a clearer picture of Ghana’s regional trade dynamics and highlight the importance of including informal trade data in national economic planning.
“Informal trade is part of everyday life for many Ghanaians. Recognising its value allows us to better understand its contribution to livelihoods and food security,” he said.
The GSS recommended greater support for small traders through simplified registration, microcredit access and improved border infrastructure to boost Ghana’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
