Free movement of people, but not of goods: the West African paradox.
With my Ivorian ID card, I can travel freely in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. My goods, however, remain stuck at the borders. This paradox is at the heart of my article "The Eco Can Wait, Intra-African Trade First," which you can find the link here:👇 https://mariusoula.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-eco-can-wait-intra-african-trade.html This reflection has just found concrete confirmation. The highway linking Abidjan to Lagos — 1,081 km, six lanes, $`15 billion, crossing CĂ´te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria — has officially entered its execution phase. The African Development Bank has been appointed lead arranger to mobilize public and private financing for the project, presented as one of the largest regional infrastructure undertakings on the continent and intended to bolster the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). A colossal investment, then — but its true effectiveness depends on much more than asphalt. Asphalt moves faster than rules. Let...