World · Africa & Trade
Aliko Dangote Challenges African Leaders on Border Limitations Impeding AfCFTA Progress
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, has issued a direct call to African leaders to address the persistent barriers posed by border restrictions and bureaucratic inefficiencies that continue to undermine the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at a high-level African forum, Dangote drew on his extensive experience operating industrial enterprises across multiple African nations to highlight the practical obstacles that hinder seamless trade and investment on the continent. His remarks underscore a longstanding concern: while the AfCFTA represents a transformative vision for a single continental market encompassing over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding 3 trillion US dollars, its potential remains constrained by non-tariff barriers, logistical challenges, and restrictive movement policies.
The visas and the shipping bills
Dangote has previously articulated these issues with clarity and precision. As a Nigerian investor with operations spanning numerous countries, he has said he must apply for “35 different visas” on his passport to travel across the continent, contrasting his experience with that of European executives who move far more freely through Africa on a single passport. He has also observed that the cost of shipping goods from one African port to another, for instance from Lagos to Accra, can exceed the expense of transporting the same goods all the way from Europe to West Africa.
Such disparities, he argues, render intra-African trade economically unattractive and perpetuate fragmentation rather than integration. Dangote has framed the problem in stark terms, casting the daily friction of crossing African borders as the clearest sign that the promise of a single market remains, for now, largely on paper.
A single passport carries a European executive further across Africa than an African one carries its own citizens.
The barriers Dangote points to
- Visas: he has said he needs about 35 visas on his Nigerian passport to move around the continent as an investor
- Freight costs: shipping from Lagos to Accra can cost more than shipping the same goods from Europe to West Africa
- Air travel: short regional hops remain expensive, keeping many would-be traders grounded
- Trade share: intra-African trade sits at roughly 15 to 17 percent of the continent’s total, far below Europe and Asia
Where the AfCFTA stands
These observations align with broader analyses of AfCFTA implementation. Although the agreement has progressively eliminated tariffs on approximately 90 percent of goods, critical supporting measures, such as harmonised customs procedures, interoperable digital systems, one-stop border posts, and visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements for African nationals, remain inconsistently applied. Intra-African trade currently accounts for roughly 15 to 17 percent of the continent’s total trade, significantly lower than comparable figures in Europe and Asia. Experts consistently identify administrative bottlenecks, inadequate infrastructure, and regulatory fragmentation as primary impediments.
Dangote’s intervention carries particular weight given his position as a leading industrialist whose businesses, including cement production, petroleum refining, and petrochemicals, already span multiple jurisdictions. He has advocated for the free movement of people, goods, and services as essential prerequisites for genuine economic integration. In his assessment, without concrete reforms to facilitate cross-border mobility and reduce transaction costs, the AfCFTA risks remaining largely aspirational.
The moment shared in the video reflects ongoing discussions among policymakers, business leaders, and development partners regarding the practical steps required to operationalise the AfCFTA. Recent initiatives, including agreements to modernise and interconnect customs systems across the continent, represent incremental progress. However, Dangote’s remarks serve as a reminder that sustained political commitment and coordinated action are necessary to translate policy frameworks into tangible economic outcomes.
As African nations continue to navigate these challenges, the perspectives of experienced private-sector actors such as Aliko Dangote provide valuable insight into the reforms needed to unlock the continent’s full economic potential. Effective implementation of the AfCFTA, supported by reduced border limitations and enhanced mobility, could significantly advance industrialisation, job creation, and intra-continental commerce.
VINCY POWA NEWS · REPORTING ON DEVELOPMENTS SHAPING AFRICA AND THE GLOBAL DIASPORA
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