Burkina Faso relies on trade with Ghana to access the sea, so it can export its minerals and cotton abroad. Onerous bureaucracy has always slowed down the border crossing. Since an insurgency erupted a decade ago, traders – especially women – are threatened by hijackings and theft as well.
To improve safety and operations at the Paga-Dakola border, ITC and its partners spent 18 months studying the crossing. A series of meetings has endorsed the reforms proposed in the study, so this vital corridor can work more smoothly.
Traffic at the Paga-Dakola border has soared as traders have rerouted shipments away from insurgent-held regions.
Yet, the border suffers from poor management, weak agency coordination, and widespread non-compliance. Inside Burkina Faso, traders use convoys for safety, but Ghana has no such system in place. Years of crisis have forced some banks to close, making financial services even more difficult to access.
Security is a major concern here,’ said a female livestock trader in the study. ‘If we cannot guarantee the safety of our goods and the traders, then all the efforts to streamline the border processes will be in vain.’
From October 2023 to March 2025 researchers conducted field visits, interviews, and consultations. Their report recommended 78 specific reforms to improve border processes, upgrade infrastructure, digitalize systems, and better support women traders.
The International Trade Centre (ITC), through the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme (EAT), partnered with the ECOWAS Commission, German development agency GIZ, and national authorities to conduct the study.
The study took place amid major changes in the region. Burkina Faso has withdrawn from the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), to form a new alliance with Mali and Niger. That’s raised concerns about future trade policies, border protocols, and regional cooperation.
But businesses remain committed to strengthening cross-border trade.
On 3 March 2025, the Ghana Shippers Authority and ITC gathered more than 20 experts to review the study. ECOWAS officials, policymakers, customs officials, business leaders, and development partners took part.
They praised the success of Burkina Faso’s Trade Portal (BurkTP), a website that gives step-by-step instructions on how to export and import. Ghana was encouraged to set up a similar system, with support for transport services and with information in more languages. The Virtual Linkage System for Import and Export Operations (SYLVIE) has improved customs processes in Burkina Faso. That system was encouraged to add flexibility to make corrections and to add costs that affect agrifood products.
A regional consultation in Accra on 6 and 7 March 2025 prioritized 18 of the study’s 78 recommendations. Key priorities include better agency coordination, digital tools, corridor security, and support for traders—especially women.
Going forward, targeted reforms in security, management, and access to trade information could make Paga-Dakola a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive trade hub that can withstand the region’s changes.
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