38 visas, 7-day border delays, Dangote says it’s cheaper to ship from Spain to Nigeria than Lagos to Accra
Aliko Dangote has lamented the high cost and inefficiencies of intra-African trade, revealing that it is often cheaper to ship goods from Lagos to Accra than from Spain to Nigeria. In an interview with Makhtar Diop, Dangote listed poor transport systems, border delays, visa restrictions and lack of African-owned shipping networks as major obstacles to regional trade and economic integration. He said goods can take a week to move across African borders. He griped he needs 38 visas to travel across the continent. Dangote emphasized that without free movement of goods, services and people, Africa cannot prosper. His [Dangote Group] which operates across 17 African countries in cement, fertiliser and oil refining continues to expand with major investments including the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the growth of [Dangote Cement],” he said. But such investments can only fully succeed if Africa removes structural barriers to trade, he said.
