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VOL. 11, ISSUE 10 (2025)
Harmonisation of data collection standards informal cross-border trade: An analysis domestic legal framework for implementation of the African Union guidelines to foster AFCFTA adoption
Authors
Fatima Bello
Abstract
Informal Cross-border Trade (ICBT) is reported
to contribute substantially to the economies of several African countries. Its
contribution is reported to exceed the value of formal trade in some African
countries. Despite the commendable contribution and impact on lives across
Africa, quantification of the volume of ICBT continues to elude us. This gap
has severe consequences on the operationalisation of the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This exclusion demonstrates that the value of trade
on the continent is not adequately captured, policies made may not be adequate,
and state parties may not effectively deploy tools to close balance of payment
gaps. Hence a need to efficiently capture the contribution of informal trade to
Africa’s economy and to develop effective formalisation tools. State parties
are at different levels of collation of these data. Given the pertinent role
that data plays in the success of economic integration and the AfCFTA, the
African Union (AU) developed guidelines for producing statistics on ICBT.
Nigeria as a state party to the AfCFTA will be required to comply with these
harmonisation guidelines. This paper analysis the legal framework for
implementation of the guidelines with a view to ensure alignment with the national
trade data capture legal framework for efficient implementation
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Pages:45-49
How to cite this article:
Fatima Bello "Harmonisation of data collection standards informal cross-border trade: An analysis domestic legal framework for implementation of the African Union guidelines to foster AFCFTA adoption". International Journal of Law, Vol 11, Issue 10, 2025, Pages 45-49
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