ASSESSING THE EFFICIENCY OF TRADE IN ECOWAS SUB-REGION: A CASE OF LAND TRADE 1976 – 2014

Abstract

This paper discusses the trade efficiency in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region with particular reference to land trade from 1976-2014. The finding in the course of the study indicates among others that the Land Trade in ECOWAS sub-region is characterized by border trade and smuggling. This paper strives to examine the factors that promote such which include import barriers or high protectionist barriers of some countries, loopholes in ECOWAS treaty, protocol on inter-state (transit) goods and re-export goods and finally the geographical location of Togo, Benin Republic to protectionist country like Nigeria, Gambia to Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire to Burkina Faso and lastly Sierra Leone to Guinea. The paper also discusses the final destinations of the transit goods in Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria in relation to Coastal and land locked countries in the ECOWAS Sub-region.