INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE.

According to the World Bank, 75% of intra-African trade is provided by five countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe.It is vital, for African states to remedy this situation at the earliest promptly.If the latter, to achieve their development objectives in the short, medium and long term.

• Barriers to intra-african trade

Because of their colonial past, African states are more likely to share a business perspective, with their former colonies rather than between them.

For example, the first economic partner of Cameroon is France.While, that of Nigeria is the Great Britain.While geographically, these two nations are better able to share with each other, than with any other nation or region of the world.But misconduct, appropriate infrastructure and political will, the bulk of the production of these two states (80%) is exported to Europe, China, and the USA.

We can also note that, the absence of industry capable of transforming African commodities in manufactured product, is a great hindrance to intra-regional trade.For though it be said, for there to trade between African states of the same subregion or vice versa; he must have a good or product exchange and preferably manufactured .

• How to facilitate intra-african trade?

The first step in the effective implementation of the free trade agreements adopted within the different African sub-regions (CEMAC, ECOWAS ...).Because they exist so far, that a theoretical way.And are not applied in everyday life.

Secondly, it is important to launch the construction of transport infrastructure at the local and sub-regional level.In order, to facilitate the movement of goods and persons, places of production to the local or sub-regional consumer markets ( grants our previous article, on the infrastructure deficit in Africa).This would help, to reduce the cost of the supply chain in Africa, which is the highest in the world.And that is a real barrier, to foreign investment.

-Frédéric Betta-Akwa