Informal trade plays a significant role in the economic and social activities of Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), contributing substantially to livelihoods, cross-border commerce, and regional market integration. Recognizing its growing importance and the need to better understand and regulate its dynamics, the ECOWAS Commission developed the Regional Support Programme for Regulating Informal Trade (PARCI), which was adopted in March 2012. The programme followed a comprehensive diagnosis of informal trade in the region and identified key intervention areas aimed at improving the organization, productivity, and governance of the sector. It was developed through a participatory and inclusive process involving Member States, private sector actors, professional trade organisations, non-governmental organisations, and technical and financial partners.

The programme was introduced in the context of persistent economic challenges in West Africa, where intra-regional trade accounts for only about 10% of official trade flows despite steady economic growth in the region. Studies have shown, however, that these figures do not fully capture the scale of economic exchanges, as a significant proportion of cross-border trade occurs informally and remains outside official records. In some Member States, the contribution of the informal sector to national economies is estimated to range between 20% and 75%. In response, the ECOWAS Commission has committed to supporting efforts to better regulate and structure informal trade, not to discourage it, but to enhance productivity, improve revenue generation, and strengthen the region’s broader integration agenda.