Informal cross-border trade in Ghana was estimated at GHS31 billion in the first three quarters of 2025. Ghana Statistical Service figures presented at a stakeholder dialogue in Aflao in the Volta Region put that flow about 54% above trade recorded through formal land channels in the same period.
The informal total also represented about 6% of Ghana's overall trade. That weight underlines how much economic activity still moves outside formal border channels, even as the country seeks gains from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Small-scale traders, many of them women operating through Elubo, Hamile, Paga, Aflao and Akanu, reported complex procedures, undocumented levies, long transit delays, weak infrastructure and scarce information on approved rules. They also cited arbitrary charges, harassment, confiscation of goods and few effective complaint routes.
Ghana Revenue Authority Customs has introduced a Simplified Goods Declaration system so traders can declare goods and pay duties through shorter processes. AfCFTA National Coordination Office head Dode Seidu said a gap remains between continental commitments and daily border practice, and called for gender-responsive procedures, better infrastructure, clearer information and stronger agency coordination.
The African Capacity Building Foundation and Ghana National AfCFTA Champions backed a joint action plan that includes digitalising border processes and formalising informal trade without raising new barriers for small operators.