(Business in Cameroon) – Fuel from Nigeria was the most smuggled product into Cameroon in 2024, according to the latest report on informal cross-border trade from the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The commodity alone accounted for 33% of Nigeria’s total illegal exports to Cameroon during the year.
Shoes came second with 12.1% of the total, recording a sharp 170.8% increase from 2023 to 2024. Informal shoe imports reached CFA21.2 billion in 2024, the report said.
The INS also noted strong growth in informal imports of water, including mineral water, which rose by 77.4% to CFA10.25 billion, and building materials such as bricks, tiles, and ceramic parts, which surged by 148.9%.
In contrast, imports of motorcycles fell by 61.6%, cotton fabrics by 35.1%, live cattle by 56.6%, and whisky and other spirits by 28.9%.
Overall, Nigeria remained Cameroon’s main informal supplier in 2024, accounting for 66.5% of total unrecorded imports, valued at CFA176.58 billion. Despite a steep decline between 2022 and 2023 (–35.2%), a modest recovery of 1.9% was observed in 2024, reflecting improved security in the Far North and North-West regions—Cameroon’s main entry points for hydrocarbons and manufactured goods.
