(Business in Cameroon) – Fuel from Nigeria was the most smuggled commodity into Cameroon in 2024, according to a report by Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS) on informal cross-border trade.
Fuel alone accounted for 33% of all smuggled Nigerian goods entering Cameroon during the period. Footwear ranked second, representing 12.1% of total illicit imports. The report noted a sharp rise in footwear smuggling, with informal sales jumping 170.8% year-on-year to 21.2 billion XAF.
Cameroon’s informal imports from Nigeria also rose steeply in other categories, including water, especially mineral water, which increased 77.4% to 10.25 billion XAF. Imports of construction materials, notably ceramic tiles, bricks, and related products, surged 148.9%, the INS said.
By contrast, motorcycle imports fell 61.6%. Similar declines were recorded for cotton fabrics (down 35.1%), live cattle (down 56.6%), and spirits, including whiskey (down 28.9%).
Overall, Nigeria remained Cameroon’s leading informal trading partner in 2024, accounting for 66.5% of total informal imports, valued at 176.6 billion XAF.
“Despite a sharp drop between 2022 and 2023, down 35.2%, a modest rebound was seen in 2024, up 1.9%, reflecting improved security conditions in Cameroon’s Far North and North West regions, the main entry points for hydrocarbons and manufactured goods,” the INS noted.
BRM
