Making intra-regional food trade count: Better data systems for food trade monitoring in West Africa

In West Africa, intra-regional food trade plays a much greater role in food and nutrition security and economic development than official statistics suggest. This paper argues that persistent gaps in trade data obscure the true scale, composition, and strategic importance of regional food flows. Recent estimates indicate that up to 85% of intra-regional food trade goes unrecorded, representing nearly USD 10 billion annually. This lack of visibility undermines policymaking by distorting assessments of markets, food and nutrition security, regional value chains, and progress towards commitments under ECOWAS agricultural frameworks, CAADP, and the AfCFTA. The report highlights the structural reasons why trade goes unrecorded, including traders’ avoidance of formal borders, limited incentives for customs authorities to record duty-free flows, sparse monitoring coverage, and weak institutional co-ordination. While technical solutions and practical country experiences already exist, scaling up these efforts remains primarily a political and institutional challenge. Addressing these challenges will require harmonised regional data systems, stronger national capacities, and more policy-relevant analysis.