Togo has emerged as Ghana’s largest informal trading partner, accounting for nearly GH¢1.8 billion of Ghana’s total informal cross-border trade in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a new report released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The report, which is the country’s first comprehensive assessment of informal trade flows shows that Ghana’s informal trade with neighboring countries reached GH¢7.4 billion between October and December 2024.
Of this amount, transactions with Togo, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire collectively represented over 80 percent of the total value.
GSS data indicate that Togo led with GH¢1.8 billion, followed by Burkina Faso with GH¢1.7 billion and Côte d’Ivoire with GH¢0.6 billion.
This pattern underscores the deep commercial and social interconnections between Ghana and its immediate neighbors, relationships that thrive despite being largely outside formal customs systems.
Speaking at the report’s launch in Accra, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu described the results as “a revelation of the real economy that happens away from the paperwork.”
He added that the findings “provide a clearer picture of the movement of goods and services that underpin regional integration.”
Despite strong exports of Ghanaian goods to its neighbors, the country recorded a trade deficit with Togo in the informal sector.
Imports from Togo, mainly cooking oil, mattresses, sugar, and household goods exceeded exports, reflecting a significant consumer demand gap filled through unrecorded channels.
Conversely, Ghana maintained informal trade surpluses with both Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, driven by exports of alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, sugar, biscuits, and processed foods.
“Ghana’s local beverage industry is expanding its reach beyond formal channels, our products are finding strong demand across West Africa, one truckload or headload at a time,” said Dr. Iddrisu.
According to the GSS report, consumer goods such as food and beverages accounted for nearly half of all informal trade activity during the quarter.
Cooking oil emerged as the most traded commodity, followed by livestock, sugar, and other fast-moving consumables.
Nonetheless, with lower barriers to movement and no tariffs in informal exchanges, traders can respond quickly to price changes and market shortages.
The report also highlights Ghana’s dependency on imported vegetable oils and processed goods from Togo, suggesting opportunities to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Dr. Iddrisu stressed that while informal trade provides income and market access, it also exposes Ghana to value leakage, as unrecorded imports and exports escape national accounting systems.
The GSS urged government and financial institutions to create micro-credit and insurance packages tailored for cross-border traders.
The report also recommends improved border infrastructure, such as rest areas, security posts, and storage facilities to ease congestion and enhance safety for small-scale traders.
“Our goal is to recognize, not penalize, the informal sector,” Dr. Iddrisu emphasized. “We need policies that encourage traders to grow and transition gradually into the formal system.”
